Later season

�The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the course of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that he Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is not unrighteousness in Him.� Psalm 92:12-15

This week we have been considering fruit-bearing through the seasons of life. Yesterday we sought to encourage mothers in the early season, the season of young children. Perhaps your children are grown and gone, or you are single or without children and you are wondering what does fruit look like in this later season.
Our verse today is a beautiful picture of a flourishing life in the later years. As long as you are on this earth you can be certain that God still has a plan and a purpose for your life, regardless of your age.
About 12-15 years ago, there were two women in our church that were in their 90�s. One was bedridden that other was more mobile. I made a point to visit both of them periodically. WOW!! What a ministry these ladies had in my life. I usually took my young children and they would make a fuss over them too. It never failed to encourage my heart when I visited them. Here I thought I was going to minister to them. HA! They would make my day, every single time. They would speak words of kindness, encouragement and ask how they could pray for me. They shared their life experiences and most of all their love for the Lord.
In March of this year, I was speaking at a women�s conference in Pennsylvania. There was an 89 year old woman there who sat right up front. At the end of our weekend she approached me, took my hand and with tears in her eyes said, �I have so much to learn.� In her simple words, she bore fruit in my life.
There is much wisdom bound up in those in the later seasons of life sitting in our pews. WE NEED YOU!!! Please share your lives with us. The fruit you bear into others lives may be multiplied many times over.

Diane