[#Life] MidlifeSample

Reach Forward

Like Paul says in Philippians 3:13 (CSB), “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.” We have to bring it to the Lord and say: “God, I need you to give me the strength and the energy to do this.” We need to stop reliving the past, get over our frustrations, keep moving, and start reaching forward to what is ahead of us. There is so much for us to do! 

Many times we can think that midlife is the ending of things—the nest is beginning to be empty, and we talk about all these things coming to an end. All our lasts. All the things we did not do, that we cannot try to do anymore, or all the things that we did do but that will come to an end. Some friends of mine, who are a little bit further along in this stage of life, once said, “Do not forget all the firsts that are coming to your life.” There are a lot of last days, but there are also a lot of first days: the gloriousness of the first day of college for our kids or grand-kids, of the first time you meet that girlfriend or that boyfriend who is going to turn into that wife or husband for your kids. The first day we become grandparents is tremendous and amazing. There is a first trip we may take as empty nesters. All these things that happen are moving us forward and going forward into what God wants to do with us and in us.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits.” We have all the life and all the experience ahead of us to keep moving forward and do amazing things.

My prayer is that you could pray and say to the Lord, “Lord, I’m going to keep moving forward. I’m going to trust You with what You have given.”