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How are you doing as you approach your 90th birthday?

I don't have the energy I once had. And I do have some physical problems that the doctors have to watch. Someone said to me recently that the most exciting part of his day was waking up and discovering what was hurting today that didn't hurt yesterday! Sometimes I can relate to that. But seriously, I'm thankful for each day, and I'm thankful for the measure of health I do have. Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are.

And I've discovered that just because we'll inevitably grow weaker physically as we get older, it doesn't mean we must grow weaker spiritually. In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually, because our eyes ought to be on eternity and Heaven—on the things that really matter.

Do you stay pretty close to home? Many visitors?

I don't get out as much as I used to. A couple of months ago, I was in Charlotte for a meeting of our board, but in general I stay home most of the time now. One of the things I miss most is that I can no longer read, due to age-related macular degeneration. I get regular injections for this, and thankfully these seem to have arrested its progress, but it's still very difficult for me to read. That means it is hard for me to pick up my Bible and read it like I used to, and I miss that very much. But I probably pray as much now as at any time in my life, if not more—not just definite times of prayer, but all during the day.

And yes, I do have visitors from time to time, when my strength allows. My family is very good about visiting me, and other friends as well. And one of the things I can do at this stage of my life is encourage younger evangelists and ministers, so I try to make time for them.

I understand that you are an avid TV news and talk show watcher. Were you following the presidential campaign? Any endorsements?

I've always tried to keep up with what's happening in the world, and I still do—including politics. But no, I'm not making any endorsements, and I'm staying out of partisan politics. I'm grateful for our system of government, and I strongly urge people to vote—but I don't endorse any candidate.

I also strongly urge people to pray for our new leaders, whoever they are, because they will be facing enormous problems, and they'll need great wisdom and patience from God to deal with them. I pray also that they'll be able to work across party lines on these problems, and avoid the partisan wrangling that we've seen in recent years.

What is life like without Ruth?

Not a day, or even an hour, goes by that I don't think about her and miss her. I rejoice that all the suffering she endured those last years is over, and that she's safely in Heaven now with the Lord she loved and served almost her whole life. But I miss her very much, and I look forward to the time when we will be reunited.

The Bible says that as Christians we don't grieve the same way people do who have no hope of eternity and of Heaven—but we still grieve.

One of your Charlotte friends told me you said recently that, as a Christian, you had been taught how to die, but nobody ever taught you how to grow old. What are your challenges these days?

Yes, I think that's true; we don't say enough about the challenges we'll face as we grow older, and how we ought to deal with them. I'm not just thinking here of the physical challenges of old age, although sometimes I wonder if we don't gloss over these and pretend that the latest cosmetics or surgical techniques can turn back the clock indefinitely. They can't; if we live long enough, sooner or later the frailties of old age will catch up with us.

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November (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52