“And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4

“Help me! Help me!” he screamed.

My friend, Bob Jackson, and I had just walked into a local assisted care home. Bob stepped around the corner and went into another room. I was left alone with the man. He screamed again, “Help me!”

He was sitting in front of a television. I glanced over and saw Michael Landon on the screen. I thought, “Maybe he doesn’t like Bonanza and wants someone to help him change the channel.” So, I walked over to where he was sitting and kneeled in front of him.

“I will help you.” I said.

“Close the gate.” he yelled.

“What gate?”

“That one. Close the gate before those calves get out.”

I pretended to close an imaginary gate.

“Okay. It’s closed.”

“Thank you.” He held out his hand. I took it. He had a firm handshake.

“My name is James. I’m a preacher.”

“I’m Otis (not his real name). This is my ranch.”

For the next few minutes Otis told me all about his place. He had Angus cattle grazing out in the back pasture. He grew milo, corn, and wheat on the rest of his acreage. His wife, Anita (also not her real name) was waiting for him with their baby at the farmhouse.

“How long have you and Anita lived on this ranch?” I asked. There was a sparkle in his eye as he thought about Anita. He smiled and said, “I grew up here. I’ve lived here my whole life. Anita joined me a couple of years ago when we got married.”

“Otis,” I said, “I have to go. Before I leave, would it be okay if I prayed for you?” He said, “Sure, preacher. But make it quick. I have to get back after those calves.”

He bowed his head and closed his eyes as I prayed. For just a moment, the confusion seemed to leave him. For just a second or two, he seemed to be with me there in the assisted care home. When I finished praying, we both said, “Amen,” and I could tell that in his mind, he was back on his ranch.

I stood up and walked away, but somehow Otis went with me. Oh, he didn’t physically come with me, but I have not been able to stop thinking about him. I plan to visit his ranch again next week.

Some people might question how a loving God would allow a man like Otis to spend his final days all alone in a state of mental confusion. However, I don’t believe Otis was alone. I felt the presence of Jesus in that room. Otis is far from alone in his old age.

The point is: If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, He promises to carry you when you are old and gray. You may not always be able to feel His arms beneath you, but the Lord has promised that He will never leave you. Your friends may leave. Your family may leave. Even your mind may leave. But Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you.

I can’t tell you how many years you will live on this earth or what you might face as you grow old. But I can tell you one thing for certain: Christ will carry you even when you can’t carry yourself.

Soon, the sun will set on Otis’ ranch. When that final sunset comes, I believe he will hear Jesus say, “Enter into your rest, my good and faithful servant. Anita is waiting for you. Don’t worry about the calves. I will close the gate…”

James Collins is the senior pastor at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. Find out more about his ministry at the website www.fortscottfsbc.com.

There were so many good-feeling moments from Super Bowl LIV. Here in Mazatlán, Mexico, I had proudly worn my Chiefs’ shirt in anticipation of the big event. Sometimes a stranger would give me a “thumbs-up” and point to my shirt, but since many of the people who live here are from the San Francisco area, that not always was the case.

Dave and I were the only Chiefs’ fans at the Super Bowl party we hosted. That did not dissuade me from hanging two Chiefs’ banners, one in my window and the other in my living room. We were excited! Well, I was. As Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ quarterback, explained when asked in a pre-game interview how he remains so calm, he said he once was a baseball pitcher, and pitchers have to remain calm to do well. Enough said.

The pregame ceremonies were filled with nostalgia as the host city brought back the NFL’s top 100 former football players. Four centurions who served in W.W. II were introduced, with one presenting the token for the coin flip (at which point, I admit I teared up). Yolanda Adams’ rendition of “America the Beautiful” gave me goose bumps, as did the flyover with four jets streaming above in perfect synchronization. Players from both teams lined their respective 24-yard lines as a tribute to legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant who died in a tragic helicopter crash the week before.

And then there was the game which, for three quarters, looked like head coach Andy Reid would be denied his first-ever Vince Lombardi trophy. But then the Chiefs do what they do best: They came back. Down 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter, the Chiefs tacked on 21 additional points to win the game. During the postgame festivities, Chiefs’ CEO Clark Hunt credited the Lord for “blessing us with this opportunity. The glory belongs to Him, and this trophy belongs to the best fans in the National Football League.” According to the “Tyler Morning Telegraphy,” Hunt previously had shared his faith and spoken about how he makes spiritual development a priority. “In the National Football League, Christ is really glorified. My identity is my faith in Christ.”

Like I said, those were some of the many feel-good moments from Super Bowl LIV. My disappointment—shared by many friends—was the half-time show featuring two multi-talented, athletic, gorgeous Latino women: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Local Facebook postings were divided between those who considered it “the best halftime performance ever” and those who considered it the worst. In reading several reviews the following day, the word “sexy” appeared in most. But is that the goal of entertainment at the Super Bowl?

One of my girlfriend’s eight-year old twins commented on how “nasty” the dancers were. Granted, the show was intended to pay tribute to the Latin culture (at one point, Lopez’s caped American flag was reversed to the Puerto Rico one), but I felt this show’s vulgarity failed to live up to the dignity that preceded–and followed–it in what is supposed to be a family-friendly event. Both of these entertainers are too talented for such a performance! What confused me was how the NFL speaks out against human trafficking yet allows women to become objects who use their bodies to bring attention to the plight of their country. (As an aside, while the two dancers were entertaining the crowd, a dear friend was rescuing prostitutes on a trafficking sting.) No doubt that adds to why I found this show particularly offensive.

Christ certainly was not glorified during that act, and I was disappointed that an otherwise classy event was marred by such an unclassy performance. Nothing about it made me proud to be an American, except, I guess, that we are a nation of freedoms, even to the point that such freedoms give us the right to pole dance at a football game. Remember Yolanda Adams lyrics, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee…”? Fortunately, that covers even the Lopez/Shakira halftime show.