Al and Betty are retired. They have been retired for years and they are spending their retirement years in a unique way. Like many who retire, they bought a travel trailer to rove the county. But unlike many who retire they had no intention of taking it easy.
They were on the road to work and work hard. And they worked at their own expense. Wherever a Christian ministry or campground needed repairs Al and Betty would put up for a few days or a few weeks. They would fix roofs or repair toilets or paint, whatever needed done they would do the job. No charge. All they asked for was a place to plug in their trailer and some Christian fellowship. Where it was possible they ate in the dining hall.
They were members of a church we served over ten years ago. A few months ago we returned to preach and sing there. After the service down the aisle came Al and Betty with a spring in their step, looking not a single day older than they did a decade before. Their faces were radiant and youthful. They had a joyful glow about them. They were still on the road serving wherever they could, busy as ever. I was about to ask them what kept them looking so young and energetic and then I realized… it was all that hard work.
“The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.” Proverbs 16:31