Growing Older Full of Grace
I watched and listened to Nancy and John Ortberg on an episode of “Become New” called “Psalm 92 and Flourishing in Old Age” last week and was struck by Nancy’s insight on this text from Psalm 92:12-14 (NIV). The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green… I thought about three reasons why this verse and this episode encouraged me and challenged me so deeply.
First, I am sure that some of has to do with the season of life that I am living currently. I am what I would call “semi-retired.” I coach pastors, seminary students and missionaries. I still speak at churches and conferences and write books. But I have slowed down. I tell people, “I’ve gone from fifth gear to fourth.” The transition from “leader” to “sage” continues for me as I age. Cheryl will likely work for two more years as a teacher until age 65 and then retire. All of this bounced through my mind as I listened to Nancy and John.
Second, recently Cheryl and I met with a wealth manager to plan our financial sustainability as we age. Looking at charts that project our life expectancy out to 90, 95 and 100 years of age will quicken your sense of aging and mortality. My dad died at 98 and Cheryl’s at 89. My mom is 98 and I have an Aunt who is 104 years of age. In January, the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the U.S. life expectancy hit an all-time high. On average, women live to 81.4 years of age, men to 76.5 years of age and combined women and men live to an average of 79 years of age. These realities stirred as I listened to Nancy and John.
The third reason this episode moved me was that Cheryl and I are honored to care for our two aging mother’s, Carmen age 98 and Nancy age 89. We get a front row seat at two amazing followers of Jesus navigating the challenges of widowhood, health and loneliness. Their relationship is a powerful embodiment of Solomon’s wisdom in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV). “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” This too bounced around my soul during this episode of ”Become New.”
What touched me most was when Nancy mentioned her Grandma Gladys as an example of someone who lived a simple, faithful life. She embodied Psalm 92:12-14. Nancy said this of her Grandma,
…as her world got smaller, her understanding of the Kingdom grew bigger and there was as much of the Kingdom available as her world got smaller as when it was bigger.
My heart shouted , “Yes! Amen! So be it in me!” Aging does make our world smaller. I see it everyday with our two mom’s. I’ve experienced this to a much lesser degree in my transition in ministry from being the Lead Pastor of a large church while standing on a worship platform in front of hundreds to being a coach to spiritual leaders while sitting on a Zoom platform in front of one. Really how I age is a matter of my spiritual formation and I desire to age while having an ever-expanding vision for the Kingdom of God at work in and through me and in the world around me like Grandma Gladys.
As Cheryl and I grow older, the complexities of life grow as well. There are so many unanswered questions about how we will live out the remaining years of our lives together. This verse and episode encouraged me to age with deep purposes that have more to do with our formation as apprentices of Jesus. So, what about you?
You can check out the Become New episode here.