I was queuing for food at a hawker centre. In front of me two 60+ year old ladies struck up a conversation. Lady A asked the other (lady B) to participate in the Healthy 365 program, a national health promotion programme. A encouraged B to go collect the free step tracker. She continued to “brag” about all the benefits that she had gotten from points gained by using the tracker. The other sounded jealous about the free tracker but was not interested in the 5K steps needed. Her excuse – “lao liao lah” (old already). Throughout their conversation, the “old” word was used nonstop. The conversation finally ended, much to my relief, when it was A’s turn to order her food.

Why must one blame everything on growing old? It is an inevitable fact; we will grow old. The body will slow down, and everything will seem more difficult. Try to keep healthy and fit, old already. Learn something new, old already. Go out and enjoy a trip, old already. Then spend all the time lamenting that others have such exciting, interesting and good lives. Really? What has “old” got to do with “trying”? It has everything to do with giving excuses. We can learn and try new things regardless of our age. Stop complaining and start living an abundant life.

Caleb would not be such a revered figure if not for his faithfulness and disregard of his age. Taking on a difficult task at an advanced age and completing it was to thump his nose to “old”.

We are never too old to serve the Lord. When we are not strong enough to do heavy lifting, we can take on lighter loads. When even that becomes difficult, we can be there to be encouragers and prayer warriors. No, we are never too old. So! Onwards Christian soldiers, march on.

God bless,
In Christ’s service,

Barry Leong

我正在小贩中心排队买食物。在我前面有两位六十多岁的老妇人开始在交谈。甲妇人请乙妇人参加健康365的活动，一个全国提倡健康的活动。甲鼓励乙去领取免费的计步器。她继续“吹嘘”她从使用计步器累积积分后所得到的各种好处。另一位听起来则对免费的计步器比较羡慕，却对需要走五千步的要求不感兴趣。她的藉口是—“老了啦”。在她们整段的交谈中，“老”字不断被提起。当轮到甲去买她的食物，交谈终于结束了，让我确实松了一口气。

为什么总要把所有的事都归咎于年华老去。我们会变老，这是无可避免的事实。身体会变得缓慢，所有一切也开始越来越艰难。尝试维持健康及强壮，已经老了。学习新的事物，已经老了。出去享受一次旅行，已经老了。然后就花费所有的时间哀叹别人有如此这般精彩、有趣且美好的生活。果真如此吗？“老了”到底和“尝试”有什么关系呢？若要找藉口就会和所有的事有关了。我们可以不在乎年龄的去学习和尝试新事物。停止埋怨，开始去过丰盛的生活。

迦勒若不是因为他的忠心及无视年龄，他就不会成为令人尊敬的人物，在年迈的时候承担艰巨的任务，而完成任务则是他对“老”的嗤之以鼻。

我们绝不会太老而不能事奉主。当我们不够强壮去提取重物时，我们可以提轻一点的担子。即使那也是艰难的，我们可以在那里成为鼓励者和祷告勇士。不会，我们绝不会太老。所以，前进，基督精兵，向前迈进！

上帝赐福,
在基督里服事的,

Barry Leong
（林秀娟会吏翻译）