Aging Gracefully

            There aren’t many heroes left in the course of our everyday lives.  However, we are surrounded by men and women who breathe the breath of God when they speak and whose lives rise above the crowd in walking with Christ. One of my heroes is Hokie Moore, who celebrated his 100th birthday last October.  He enjoys talking of how he became the positive and gentle man that he is today.

            Hokie’s early years were not spent in a Christian home.  His family moved to Merrill, a small town near Klamath Falls.  When he was a teenager his mother trusted Jesus while listening to “First Mate Bob & The Good Ship Grace” on the radio.  Hokie was eighteen years old when an evangelist came to Klamath Falls.  He and his brother went with their mother to attend the meetings.  Hokie had never heard the gospel, but that first night his attention was caught by the message.  He returned eagerly the next day.  That night, both he and his brother went forward to accept Jesus Christ.  This eventually led to their whole family coming to know the Lord.

           The evangelist who led him to Christ encouraged him to become a pastor.  It took several years of education, and while a student, he started a church at Rhododendron and became its pastor.  This was followed by pastorates in seven churches, ministry in the NW CBA and the Alaska CB Church offices and interim positions as well.  Several of these ministries were of 10 or more years.  He still gets a spark in his eyes when he talks about the fifteen years in Alaska, first at Fairbanks and then in Anchorage.  These years were the best years of his ministry.

            Hokie’s love for the Word of God has been the cornerstone of his life and ministry.  I Cor. 15:58 has been his life verse: Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

            So, how has he kept such a positive and cheerful attitude in all of these years?  His reply: “I could not be anything else.  I have always had a positive outlook on life.  The Bible says that ‘You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.’  And, ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’”

           Would he follow this path again?  “I sure would!” was the reply.  “I would do it with joy.  God has said that he will never leave me, nor forsake me.”  He has no regrets for the past and no fears for the future.  “Rather than fear what could happen, I know that we will be absent from the body and present with the Lord, at home with family and friends.”

            His advice for the younger generation is to know Christ early. Nothing is more important. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

            This is why Hokie is one of my heroes.
            -Pastor Ed