And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.

~Psalm 71:9 NLT

It took a while, but I finally learned age is just a number.

As a young boy, the thought of being sixty years old seemed far away. That was the age of grandparents or even great-grandparents. If I imagined myself at that age, I, like Scarlet in Gone with the Wind, typically said, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

Then, it happened. Suddenly, I was there . . . and beyond. I began planning for retirement, but the economy went sour, and retirement became a distant possibility. Before I knew it, I approached sixty-four, and my wife was planning a birthday party for me—something Mom never did for any of her boys when we were growing up.

The party wasn’t a big shindig, but it was noisy. How could it not be when seven grandboys, all under the age of fourteen, showed up? Along with their parents, who they get the loudness from. But I love them all, and Pop was glad they all made time on a Saturday to visit me.

When the day was over and the house was quiet again, my wife and I took a deep breath, smiled, and began cleaning up. Who said aging couldn’t be fun? In fact, that morning, I said to her, “Sixty-four doesn’t feel any different than sixty-three.” After all, age is only a number.

The psalmist doesn’t provide his age, but he classifies it as old—whatever that means. His strength is failing, as is typical. Mine sure is not what it once was. But his primary concern is that God not set him aside or abandon him. Why he thought God would, he doesn’t say. But he didn’t have to worry.

Aging can change our perspective about things—perhaps, even some people. We often become more pensive, as I have. We begin thinking more about what lies ahead while also reflecting on the miles we have already traveled. Some things we can’t even remember anymore. Some days, we’re happy. Others, we’re sad.

One thing we don’t have to worry about, however, is what the psalmist mentioned. God never abandons his children. Our strength may fail, but God’s never will. He can carry us through whatever the aging process brings—and none of us know what that might be. Health problems plague some, while others seem to sail through the retirement years with no issues at all.

Whatever comes our way—and in whatever form it comes—God will walk by our side and give us the strength and courage to face it.

As you age, face each day with a joyful attitude and the confidence that God carries you.

Father, as I face the aging process with all its challenges, I trust you to carry me through.  

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: Age Is Just a Number: Martin Wiles: All Rights Reserved