Never Too Old

On May 17, 2007, 95-year-old Nola Ochs walked across a platform at Ft. Hayes State University in Hays, Kansas. At the time, she became the oldest person to ever receive a college diploma. Even cooler, her 21-year-old granddaughter Andrea graduated with her on the same day!

Nola originally began college studies in 1930, but focused on raising her four sons alongside her husband on the family farm. She was blessed with 13 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She said "I've led a long, interesting life. We went through the dust storms. We had some difficult times in our marriage, financially. But it's been the Lord's will that I've lived this long life, and I thank Him kindly for it." At her 100th birthday in November 2011, she was studying to get her Master of Arts and was a grad assistant at FHSU!

No matter how old we are, or how many degrees we have, we still have much to learn from Jesus. In John 3:2, a religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus and called him "Rabbi" (meaning teacher). Jesus told him that he must be born again by the Holy Spirit to have eternal life.

Nicodemus had to unlearn some of his religious rules, humble himself, and learn from Jesus about spiritual truth and how to know God personally. The end of John hints that Nicodemus became a follower of Jesus.

In the same way, no matter how "big" we get, how much we think we know, or how old we are, we must all humble ourselves and learn from Jesus. After all, like Mrs. Nola, our greatest thrill is knowing His will is done in our lives.