The Fullness of Midlife
I’m always in awe of people who at a young age have managed to display a towering intellect and harness the ability to communicate with confidence and authority; whose focus, abilities, and favor have catapulted them quickly and with great velocity into the direction of their dreams, while we all just sit back in amazement and watch their stars rise.
That is not my story.
My path has not been a straight line. And it’s been full of stops and starts. But every small step forward and every unit of time that has passed has put in place one small puzzle piece towards the bigger picture. Now that I have enough puzzle pieces in place, I’m starting to be able to grasp what this picture is all about.
It seems fitting this week - my birthday week - to be discussing this topic. I’m turning 49, and as I move into this last year of my forties, it’s only natural to want to look back and take stock of where I’ve been. It’s been a slow build, a wearying trek filled with insecurity, rejection, and physical frailties. But it’s also been a journey filled with bright and beautiful moments, enduring faith, and precious connections. And permeating all of it has always been this gravitational pull towards something bigger that I’ve felt called to. For me this calling is coming forth in the form of my Herald ministry.
And now, as I stand with my feet firmly planted in this current time and space, I am ready to look forward. I’m ready to lean into the maturity I’ve gained through lived experience. I’m learning to lean on the Lord for strength, where before I would have depended on the endless energy of youth. And this is causing me to listen much more intently to what He is calling me to do. I’m learning to wait more patiently, to move more boldly, and to be much more intentional with how I use my time.
I’m embracing the fullness of midlife and all its possibilities. I encourage you to do the same!
Reflection Questions:
What’s the “something bigger” you’ve always felt called towards?
• How can you reframe midlife as an exciting opportunity to step into your calling more boldly?
• Do you see why some things wouldn’t or didn’t work out when you were younger because you lacked the experience and maturity? How have those experiences prepared you to step into your calling now with confidence and purpose?
Proverbs 4:25-27 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
