"I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am." -- Francis Bacon

English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, and author Francis Bacon was only 65 when he died in 1626. So we'll never know if he would have been singing the same tune in his 70s, 80s or 90s.

But many of us sharing his philosophy will have the chance to find out. The average life expectancy in the U.S. is just a shade under 79 years right now. If we live that long, will we insist that old age begins at 93? 

Most of my nursing-home friends already consider themselves old. Though they're almost all widows or widowers, and miss their late spouses terribly, I don't know that many of them regret their age. Most seem to be at peace with it, and ready to move on to their heavenly eternities; the only part they're dreading is the actual act of dying. 

It's an attitude that rubs off on you if you spend much time with them. Which is another great reason for visiting elderly nursing-home residents just as often as you can. As inevitable as aging is, who doesn't want to be able to greet yet another birthday with peace and even joy?  ​

​Too often, we depend on ourselves for everything – even our eternal security. The Bible tells us that’s not the way it works. In this message, inspired by Matthew 14:22-33 and delivered in late August to residents, family and friends of Care-age of Brookfield, Chris Carrillo provides a powerful reminder that it’s God Himself who saves us, and is always ready to catch us if we fall. (Image: Christ Stills The Tempest, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, 18th century)

I’ve attended a number of funerals this year – nothing unusual there, considering both my age and the time I spend with elderly friends at the nursing home. But this year’s farewell services got me thinking once again that it’s never too late to receive Christ as one’s personal Savior.
 
In particular, three of my late friends had several eternally significant traits in common.
 
First, each had a stunning story of a late-in-life conversion. All had been life-long church-goers, although their denominations differed. But all received Christ long after the time that, according to conventional wisdom, is the upper limit of when people get saved. The youngest at the time of conversion was 58; the oldest, 92.
  
Second, they each had amazing wisdom to share, even though their Christian walks had been relatively brief. I suppose that’s partly because they had time to think about the things of God, and the things of eternity. Just as important, they had decades of life experiences to ponder anew, this time with eternal eyes – including heart-breaking experiences that, after all, led them to this place, and this time, where they would finally meet the Savior and accept His free offer of a heavenly forever.
 
Third, each of these aged saints had beatific expressions in this life. And while I know that those well-worn visages probably didn’t go with them to heaven, I enjoy imagining that they did – and envisioning how rapturous each one would have looked to have come face to face, at long last, with the One who died for them. In fact, my heart leaps each time I picture one of them experiencing such unfathomable joy – and in turn imagining what it will be like when I join them, one happy day.
 
What a blessing it is to get to know these elderly brothers and sisters in Christ! 

​The median annual cost of a private nursing home room in the United States has increased to $92,376 for 2016, according to the latest survey from insurance company Genworth. That’s a good reason for thinking twice before spending too much on assisted living.