On Sunday evening, September 5, our family celebrated my wife’s 80th birthday.  While Phil, his wife, Lisa, and two boys, Andy and Chapman, still live in Louisville, the others made a quick trip to town for the celebration. Phil’s daughter, Corrie, drove from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, with her boyfriend.  Rusty, Kellie, and their son, Johnny, traveled from south Florida, while son, Tommy, and daughter, Kimberly, came from Liberty University in Virginia. Tommy’s girlfriend came from the Chicago area, while Kimberly’s fiancé flew in from Florida.

The mood was somewhat melancholy since my grandson, Charlie, remained on life support in a Nashville hospital, which also prevented his wife Faith and their one-month-old daughter from joining us.  Despite the heaviness of Charlie’s situation, we had a wonderful, joyful birthday celebration.  Admittedly, we were optimistic that evening because Charlie had had his best day since being hospitalized, and the prognosis seemed more positive.

We had dinner in a private room at one of Judy’s favorite restaurants.  The meal and service were great, the teasing and laughter were frequent, and Judy enjoyed every minute of it. Then, we went back to our home for cake and ice cream, sang Happy Birthday, and gave a few tributes to “Nana, who is central to us all.

Since Judy has written a book on hospitality that is about to be published, we asked a professional photographer to take some family pictures that may be used for it.  (Several of those excellent photos are used in this post.)

Later, when Judy and I reminisced on how special the night had been, there were several lessons it seemed the Lord was reminding us:

It’s possible to be joyful in adversity.  The Bible commands us, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Someone might look at the picture of our family laughing and conclude we were denying the seriousness of Charlie’s condition or not caring.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Anyone who has gone through severe heartache knows that tears and laughter are often closely related.  And since “a merry heart does good like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22 NKJV), God seems to provide humor at the right time as much-needed emotional relief.

But even when hearts are heavy — to the point of breaking — Christ-followers can rejoice because they have an eternal hope that will never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for them.  In the meantime, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to comfort us and lift us.  Joy in adversity is not fake.  It is real.  If you’re waiting for life to be perfect in order to make the most of today, you are wasting a lot of days!

The most influential member of the family isn’t always the most prominent. For example, outsiders might expect that I would have the most impact on our family because of my more aggressive personality and my position as a minister.  However, in reality, my wife Judy is the more significant influencer of our children and grandchildren.  Quietly, behind the scenes, she consistently served, disciplined, encouraged, prayed for, and impacted the lives of each family member.  She so genuinely cares and takes time to communicate with each one.  And she is by far the most influential.  If you doubt that, read the tribute our grandson Johnny gave as a birthday gift, “Ten of The Many Reasons Why We Love Nana,” at the bottom of the post.

You can be beautiful at 80!  I used to tease, “I have a beautiful wife and a big church and am thankful it’s not the other way around!”  Well, we have both aged,   both  have gained some weight, and I have been retired from the church for 15 years.  Yet, I am very blessed that Judy is still very attractive to me.  As Johnny said in his tribute, Nana is the prettiest 80-year-old woman I know!

Even if you’re not as physically attractive as you once were, Simon Peter reminds us that beauty “should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:4).  I guarantee you that inner beauty is of great worth in your family’s sight as well.

Long-term family relationships are God’s ideal.  Marriage is not a human institution to be totally disregarded, easily dissolved, or dramatically redefined.  God designed the family to be the basic building block of society.  God can forgive mistakes and honor second chances.  But there is something special about a family unit that stays together through adversity and disagreements.  No one is closer.  No one loves you with the love of a long-term family member.  And that’s so needed in troubled times.

Life at 80 can still be enjoyable for those who know the Lord.  We often joke about the problems and challenges of aging.  Even the Bible warns, Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

Judy struggles with arthritis in her knees, making navigating stairs difficult and walking long distances challenging.  Yet, we both acknowledged after the birthday party that life doesn’t get much better than being together with one’s family, who are all Christ-followers.  Plus, pretty soon, we will fly away to be with the Lord.  So the best is yet to come!

Have you ever flown home from overseas?  Who is the happiest on that journey? The passengers at the beginning of the 12-hour flight or the people who are 15-minutes from landing?  At takeoff, passengers look fresher and smell better, but even those in first-class appear bedraggled and weary by the end of the flight.  However, you don’t feel sorry for them. Because they are almost home and delighted, the journey is nearly over, even though they might have enjoyed a meal and a movie along the way.

Photos by Nick Bonura Photography

Therefore, don’t feel sorry for those of us who are older just because we appear a little weary and tired.  Most old geezers I know don’t want to travel through life again. They are glad to be almost home.  In fact, they sometimes feel a little sorry for younger people, knowing life can be painful at times.  They are eager to greet the Lord and their loved ones who are waiting to welcome them into their eternal family.  Then the Father, “… will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” (Revelation 21:4-5).

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.bobrussell.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/10-of-the-many-reasons-why-I-LOVE-NANA.pdf” title=”10 of the many reasons why I LOVE NANA”]

[Use the toolbar at the bottom of the PDF to advance pages]

.

Follow BobRussellKY on Twitter and LIKE the Bob Russell page on Facebook