“Teach us to
recognize how few our days; that we may gain a heart of wisdom." ~ Psalm
90:12
A year ago I celebrated my
100th birthday. Charles
Strite invented the world’s first automatic pop-up toaster in 1919 that heated
both sides of a slice of bread simultaneously.
I turn regular bread into delicious, hot toast; evenly crisp on the
outside and soft on the inside.
A gift for you after marrying your high school sweetheart in
1949, I was a more-refined, 2-slice machine. I recall such intimate memories of your first
years together. Every morning I gave you
pleasant aromas of cinnamon toasted bread mixed with fresh-brewed coffee.
I worked harder after the little ones came along – jellied
toast in the morning, sandwiches for lunch and the occasional after-school,
peanut butter snack. They seemed
enamored by me, seeing my coils heat up, admiring how I mysteriously turned a
slice of white bread into delightful toast, ready for butter, jam or just about
any other concoction.
Things changed when you moved into a new house.
Formica countertops, wood floors and new appliances. Mr. Coffee took my place - all in the name of
progress. I was relegated to a dark
cupboard where I still heard kitchen talk but would never be a part of your
lives again.
Downsizing brought yet another move. You gave away many possessions but hung onto
me for some strange reason. A new home
in another dark space.
Soon I heard the sweet voices and scampering feet of
grandchildren. They never knew me, but I
remained ready if the call came for my service.
Time passed . . . silent, deserted, irrelevant. You don’t live here anymore.
One day I awoke from oblivion when one of your daughters
opened the cupboard door and removed everything. Surprised by my presence, she carefully set me
on the counter next to a stained and bruised toaster oven. I still looked almost new in my shiny, hard
chrome case.
Did she remember me?
Before I realized what was happening, I took a short ride,
placed a nice granite countertop in a spacious kitchen, and plugged in to a
wall socket.
Perhaps I wasn’t abandoned after all! But was I still up to the challenge?
After removing old crumbs,
buffing my chrome and firing up my coils, I made my first piece of toast in decades.
It’s good to be alive again, making gluten-free
English muffins now every morning.
Like all Christians, seniors need the friendship and inspiration
from other believers for their faith to be nourished. Unfortunately, the older they get, the more
difficult it is for many of them to stay involved with the local church. You can demonstrate God’s love by providing
comfort and stability in this time of change and uncertainty, and help the
entire family recognize the spiritual continuum stretching back for
generations.
Loving God, let us pray for those who walk more
slowly now. May each step be made
lighter and their joy be greater for seeing beauty the little things that those
of us hurrying by tend to miss. Amen
