Meet Brian O’Crowley (photo above). Yes, that is a whirlybird hat on his head. He has quite the collection of hats to match his smiling personality. I met Brian, a mechanic, at a skoolie (school bus-turned-RV) event in February 2025, where he showed me how to fix my diesel heater for the Chariot. He is the owner of the truck you see in the picture next to his (with his family’s skoolie in the background). This 1948 Chevy 6400 truck with a homemade flatbed is the center of our story.

You see Brian’s truck isn’t what it seems. On the outside, one look and you see it’s been around the block a few times. It has a rustic charm and plenty of character, but it certainly isn’t gleaming with a flawless paint job or sparkling rims. But one look under the hood and everything changes.

Under that light blue 1948 hood is a 2005 GMC Yukon XL with a Chevy 5.3 liter original engine. Fully restored, this baby isn’t anywhere close to retirement! It’s humming with plenty of miles left in it.

I could have chosen to talk about a picture of a classic Thunderbird – a 1955, ‘56, or ‘57… or a ‘56 or ‘57 Chevy completely restored and in pristine condition. But I picked a 1948 Chevy flatbed because this truck reminds me of people getting on in years. They may be older in style, having unremarkable features, and maybe they are a little worn. This is the look of time-cultivated humility.

On the streets this old Chevy truck is a sleeper, unrecognized for what it truly is capable of doing. And just like the truck has a secret under the hood, these older people have a humility that comes with age – a humility that God can trust to impart His giftings and anointing and power.

There is wisdom under that hood of a life that’s been broken in, that knows how to handle the twists and turns. Over time, that may have caused a bit of wear and tear. But we can’t judge a book, a car, or a person by its cover. God reminds us in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

When God restores people, He could care less about our age. Countless times, God has given me the opportunity to pray for older people, and often His words to them are, “You are not too old to be used for Me.” Their response is almost always the same. “I just told God recently that I thought I was too old!”

At whatever ripe old age we may be, God can use our God-given wisdom, testimonies from our past, and our knowledge to share with church, family, neighbors, friends, and beyond. Through the trials of decades gone by, many have learned how to hang onto joy. Despite the wear and tear of the circumstances, we walk in that joy and lead by example without even trying. People are watching and learning from our lives. You are never too old!

When we walk in humility, we walk in God’s favor. When we walk in joy, we walk in God’s peace and love. When we share from the years of experience, the times well spent and the times not-so-well spent, the struggles and the lessons learned, we redeem the past and give it as a gift to others. We lift them to a higher level. We give them perspective, hope, and understanding. We give them love.

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Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

~ Job 12:12

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, ‘til I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

~ Psalm 71:18

You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”

~ Psalm 30:11

Humble yourselves before the Lord, an he will lift you up.

~ James 4:10