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Scripture Reading: Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.  (Genesis 25:8)

On both my father's and mother’s sides of the family, there is a history of longevity. Even if, God willing, I inherited this genetic trait, now that I am in my 60’s,  there are more years in my past than there are in my future. It’s not morbid to admit that and contemplate how I want to finish this pilgrimage. I believe I would like to finish like Abraham.

I want that, not because Abraham lived a long time, but because in the end, he was “full of years.” In Hebrew “of years” isn’t there. The idea is “full” or “satisfied.” Abraham had sat down at the table prepared by the Lord (Psalm 23:5), and now full/satisfied, pushed his chair back and rose to walk calmly through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), to emerge on the other side, gathered with his people.

Abraham was not a man fed up, full of regret, disappointed and depressed, and, therefore, wishing for death to deliver him from a miserable life. Neither was he what Alexander McClaren described as, “godless old men cynical and sour, pleased with nothing, grumbling, or feebly complaining about everything, dissatisfied with all that life has thus far yielded them, and yet clinging desperately to it, and afraid to go.”

He was, instead, calm, and peaceful. He was satisfied, not with himself, but with God and the way that God had led him. He had come to know that all things had worked together for good (Romans 8:28). He was at rest, not because he had walked perfectly, but because God had walked with him throughout his imperfect pilgrimage.

By God’s grace, I want to finish full, neither desperately clinging to this life, nor bitterly desiring to leave it behind. Rather content with what has been here and ready for what awaits us there.