Season Three - Gusto
Presumable many of us, including me, are in this third stage of life between the ages 50 - 70. Our children have moved out (hopefully) and with all the wisdom we acquired from the previous two seasons we are well on our way to living out this season with gusto! Or not…
That would be the ideal scenario, but what happens when circumstances prevent our dreams from taking shape? We are often prone to health issues at this stage, and of course we can never out run the aging process. Our brains tell us we are thirty, but our body brings us back to reality. We can’t control aging, but we can slow it down, but in the end aging always wins. The only thing we can control is our attitude toward aging.
When we accept the inevitable, this stage can provide us a wealth of fulfillment if we accept it with grace. My husband and I laugh every day at our forgetfulness, our sudden clumsiness, and inability to do the things we used to find easy. We have also discovered there is great benefit to old age. People don’t expect as much from you, they accept you more for who you are, and we can’t forget the new found excuse for getting out of things…"I’m too old to do that now.” We use it as an excuse, but face it, it’s true. One thing my husband and I are determined to do is walk everyday up our road that includes a steep hill. We figure if we do it every day, we should be able to do it when we are 90! I’ll get back to you on that one.
The standard that God has set for this stage is the same as the others - trust God in all circumstances for He still has a plan for your life. As long as you’re breathing (even if that’s all you do) you still have a purpose. We only need to trust Him that in all things He works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Sure, we can’t do the things we used to but don’t miss the opportunity God brings to the believer who continues to seek His will and grow spiritually. The wisdom we have learned over the years can be used to encourage the younger women in our life. Don’t underestimate this opportunity, for scripture tells us our calling. In Paul’s letter to Titus (2:4-8), he gives this mandate:
Teach the older women to be reverent in the way the live, not to be slanders or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
We have the opportunity to help the younger women in our life to live their lives according to God’s principles. This is an extension of stage two, where the women’s priority (After God and husband) is raising her children (if she has children). Once they are adults, we are no longer responsible for them or their choices, but we make ourselves available to offer wisdom, guidance and encouragement to our children. Through the wisdom gained and the teaching of God’s Word, we can be of great benefit to our daughters (and sons with some exceptions).
This doesn’t mean medaling, judging, interfering (Think of Marie in “Everybody Loves Raymond”), nor does it mean rescuing! We do our best to teach them when they are young, but even perfect parenting is not a guarantee our children will make the right choices. Our responsibility to our adult children is to pray for them, encourage them, love them with impersonal love, and trust them to the mighty hand of God, who loves them more than we can ever imagine.
If we have no children, or even a husband in this stage, we still have a purpose! And in our purpose, we find our significance, both of which come from God. But only for those who love Him, for those who desire Him above all things. And only for those who know Him through dedicating time to study His Word and applying His truths to their life.
God uses prepared believers. The Holy Spirit works in the believer’s life but only by the extent of the Bible doctrine in our soul. He can’t fully use us if we have nothing for the Holy Spirit to draw from. Our ability to glorify God is also limited by the amount of doctrine we know.
If we want to be used by God in this stage of our life, we must have wisdom that comes not just from life, but from His Word. And the only way to obtain that wisdom is to fill our soul with His truth. And the only way to do that is through the STUDY of God’s Word.
When we are in God’s will, and our souls are filled with His truth, this stage can be the most rewarding because, as prepared believers, God can use us beyond anything we ever dreamed of. When prepared, we are on our way to the finish line, and no matter how old we feel, we will finish with gusto!
Cheers to gusto!
