sometimes there are season for a "calling"... or a calling that never existed at all except in your own mind... sometimes the work is done... sometimes its seed on bad soil... sometimes its other roadblocks... bigotry, systemic racism... there is a heck of lot more to this than meets the eye...

Yes there is a lot more to it then meets the eye and no there isn't. Truth does not change over time or culture and it is true that we are never too old to be used by God. It is also true that God can use a whale and a donkey to get His message across. Do we ask how old the whale or that donkey was? No, because it is irrelevant. The truth is God saved a city by giving a whale an appetite for a prejudice prophet. Our age matters not to God but it does to us. God doesn't want to use us all the same "great way" and He wants to use us all. Like Jonah, God is still willing to use people even as they run away. There is a heck of a lot of reason's to run away or quit trying or to try to just hold on, but for all of them God quietly asks us to trust Him and not our reason. When we do, we join the ranks of the heroes of faith. Keep it up Brock, you are doing good for a young guy:) I am not officially old yet and your thoughts stirred me.

Sometimes when people have poured their lives into ministry they deserve a chance to retire. They have shed blood, sweat and tears in order to pave the way for the younger generation and we need to respect them, honour them, and bless them.

"Yes there is a lot more to it than meets the eye... and no there isn't. It is true that God wants to use every Christian to advance His kingdom. On this point it does not matter the age of the person. For that matter it does not even matter that it is a person. God used a donkey to speak to a prophet and a whale to change the attitude of a prejudiced run away prophet. I have never heard anyone argue that that whale was young or old, it's irrelevant. So it is with people. What makes it very hard to let God use us, at any age, is our heart. Hearts get broken, beat down and bitter. In such a condition we don't want to let God use us, we would rather run like Jonah. That is the complicating part. I know though that God cares for the broken heart too and can heal it. When He does then He can use us again whether we are young or old. I understand your comment Bear, I've been there."

Amen brother I've always said that there is no pension plan in the Bible. In fact the guy who taught me to pray was in his 70's, which probably explains why his prayers were always so personal, real and aeefective. Take care - Chris