Hey Old Timer!

            A few years ago, when I was forty-two, my family and I visited some friends of our family. We took our kids swimming in a community pool belonging to homeowners in my friend’s subdivision.

            While in the pool, I took my friend’s toy football and threw it to some kids, who were jumping off the diving board. One boy was about 11 years old, and he began conversing with my friend and me—just trying to get to know us.

            Later, a 14-year-old boy began playing catch with the 11-year-old. The 11-year-old was having trouble throwing the ball correctly to the 14-year-old, who was jumping off the diving board. The older boy began calling out, "Hey, old timer. Old timer!"

            I finally realized—he was calling to me! Since the 11-year-old was failing, the older boy wanted me to throw him the ball. Now, I didn't feel old, but “old timer” was the only way that teenager could describe me.

            An old hymn opens with the line, “Time is filled with Swift transition.” It certainly is.

            13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:13-14.)