I was especially thankful that I could address the Richardson East Church of Christ in the Dallas metroplex only the week before on “Life’s Greatest Adventure.” I assured them from Scripture that the greatest adventure for the believer is death itself, which for the Christian is ot the end of life but the beginning.

  Today was not all that atypical. I was up in time for early morning reading and a brisk walk. Reading usually includes portions of Scripture. I often go over passages I have underscored -- "purple passages" I call them -- so as to refresh my memory and to appreciate once more their relevance to living in a world like ours. Since I was now a year older I turned once more to a passage that seems to have my name on it, especially as I grow older.

  I can see in Psalm 73:21-24 the sentiments of a man who has grown old and is looking back on his life with both regret and gratitude.

Thus my heart was grieved
And I was vexed in my mind.
I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me by Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.

   These sentiments point to two basic truths about life, the first being that however far one might wander he can always come back home. To put it another way, however "foolish and ignorant" one might be, as the psalmist dares to put it, she can turn her life around and get back on track, which is the meaning of repentance. The ancient rabbis rightly esteemed repentance as among God's greatest gifts. Except for a forbearing and merciful God there would be no place for repentance,

  Thank God that we can change! What a liberating blessing! If one is unforgiving, resentful, and bears grudges, she can change into a radiant, joyful, and forgiving person. If one is lustful and lecherous at heart, he can overcome it through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Such victories may not come overnight. Indeed, our "struggle against sin" is ongoing, which means that change or repentance is a lifetime experience. Thus the Bible refers to a "baptism unto repentance" (Mathew 3:11 ), which is an induction into a life of continual reformation.

  When I look back over my own life I have no problem identifying with that soul-searching line "I was so foolish and ignorant," and there were instances when "I was like a beast before you." I may have always been sincere, but I was often wrong -- foolishly and ignorantly wrong. But God's grace not only led me to repentance, but urges me to "forget those things that are behind, and reach forward to those things which are ahead" (Philippians 3:13). I take that to mean that we are to Soldier on!

   I confess this to be one of my besetting sins -- the inability to forgive myself for the ignorant and foolish ways of my younger years. Even when I have assurance that God has forgiven me, I have trouble forgiving myself. I find myself wanting to relive the past and to "do it right" the second time around. Ouida keeps reminding me that one can't put a 50-year old or an 80-year old mind into a 20-year old or a 30-year old. I know, of course, that one can't change the past -- that's my problem, I keep wanting to!

  Right! We can't change the past, but we can change! And I thank God I am not as sectarian or as insensitive to the feelings of others as I once was. I am not as self-centered, and while I was not at first a picnic of a husband, I am now a better husband, and I think a more reasonable and responsible person. My love and appreciation for Ouida grows with the years, endlessly. But, again, renewal of one's life is ongoing. I have a way to go. If I live to write "On Turning 98" I will still be changing, still be learning -- and still be needing to change and to learn. We never in this life overcome our fallenness or our ignorance.

  The other important truth about life that the psalmist points to is that most of our problems and predicaments are of our own making. A large part of the answer to the “problem of evil” is that the human race itself, not God, is responsible for the evil. Wars, airline crashes, carnage on the highways, people lost at sea or in the mountains, and even diseases are often due to human error, carelessness, or foolish risk-taking. When the innocent suffer it is often caused by the sins of the guilty. It is true, of course, that some tragedies are beyond our control, but the writer of this Psalm may have an answer to even this -- the poised acceptance of life as one finds it.

  The writer does not make excuses for his or her foolish ways of years past. There is a disarming confession of ignorance, and even admittance of sometimes behaving like a beast! How many people do we know who are willing to confess that they are ignorant? The psalmist -- perhaps unintentionally -- reveals the one thing that might be seen as a condition of grace -- a humble and contrite heart before God.

  The exciting Nevertheless is the heart of the passage. It points to God's grace -- that in spite of our ignorant and foolish ways he is there for us. He holds our hand and bears us through the storms of life, even when in our selfish ways we are unaware of it. He allows us to learn from our mistakes. Over the years he guides our way and lifts us to higher ground.

  And after awhile, the writer assures us, God receives us into glory -- a promise not all that evident in the Old Testament. That is the point of life at any age, glory, which means to be in God's presence and to be heir to all his blessings. It is one of the mysteries of Scripture that glory is often related to hardship and suffering. It was the case with our Lord "who for the joy set before him he endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2). It is true of us all: "We suffer with him that we shall also be glorified with him" (Romans 8:17).

  Paul saw this mystery of glory and suffering in reference to the whole of creation: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall afterwards be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

  For December 11, 2006 I noted in my diary: "My 88th -- homegoing nears." When the Lord says, "Well done, good and faithful servant" -- or even "Well tried" -- that will be my glory.

  You will notice that our new email address is leroygarrett@verizon.net

  We had Ouida’s name in the previous address, but that had its problems. Those who see the name in print can’t pronounce it, and those who hear it pronounced can’t spell it. I once questioned Mother Pitts on why she didn’t name her something like Maggie or Molly. She may have figured that such a unique child deserved a unique name. We also changed servers, and we have a new Dell computer, which does not tarry like our previous one. Our world continues to change -- at a faster clip -- even in our old age.

  You will remember that all these essays are available at leroygarrett.org

  We add names to our mailing list only when requested.