Never Too Old

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Genesis 12:1-4 (NRSV)

Janine Kuty is from Virginia. One Sunday morning, her grandmother asked, "Don't you think the people on our church prayer list would like to know that we're praying for them?" And for the next six years, her grandmother sent cards to everyone on their church's prayer list. She had to step away from this ministry in 2003 because of health issues, but by that time she had sent more than 12,000 prayer cards!

Janine's grandmother was 78 years old when she began her prayer card ministry. Her taking on this work later in life makes Janine think about Abraham, who was 75 years old when God called him. God had a grand purpose for Abraham's life. God would bless all the people of the world through him (see Gen. 12:1-3).

Just as God inspired Janine's grandmother to bless thousands of people, God had plans to bless multitudes through Abraham. What would have happened had Abraham rejected God's call, feeling he was too old to bless anyone? How many people would have missed a blessing from the prayer card ministry - a ministry that still continues today - if Janine's grandmother had said no to God's call? We are never too old to fulfill God's purposes. And when we faithfully serve, God blesses countless others through us.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for calling us to serve you, no matter our age. Empower us to do your good work through-out our lives, in Jesus' name. Amen.