The Autumn of Life

Since God designed the seasons of the year, it is easy to see Him as an artist, painting His view of a Christian life.

Spring arrives with soft warm breezes, and the awakening life in the earth dots the landscape with splashes of color. The springtime of our life is our childhood and youth as we grow in body, mind, and spirit with the wonder of God and our world.

Summer brings the brightness of longer days and a profusion of growth and color. Heat becomes oppressive and stressful, much like the years when we raise our families and provide their financial security.

Then comes the rush of breathtaking color and the warm, smoky smell of fall.

We can almost hear the Lord say, “I want My children to see the glorious result of their life in Me before the harshness of winter.” So He takes out His brush and most vibrant colors and paints the landscape of creation with shades of gold, orange, red, and deepening hues of green and brown.

We seldom dwell on the future of aging until we are close to the autumn of our lives, the senior years. Our focus changes as we leave our careers behind and enter retirement. Some of us shrink from acknowledging that the time has arrived to face a different type of future. Our response to this last chapter of our lives depends a great deal on our relationship with the Lord and whether we believe we have accomplished what is important.

Some senior citizens face retirement with excitement as they look forward to having the time to indulge in activities they had to put on hold during the years of raising children and making a living. However, an increasing number of us must return to work, not because of boredom but because of the necessity to bring in more income. As time progresses, we experience health issues and limitations to our lifestyle.

Regardless of what enjoyment we find or the pressures we must endure, if we have a close relationship with the Lord, our senior years will show the beauty of a life spent with Christ. This does not mean we have sailed through life without making some disastrous and sometimes sinful decisions. However, if we have asked forgiveness, those are behind us.

What makes our latter years beautiful?

• A loving manner
• A patient attitude
• A thankful heart
• An appreciative tongue
• A positive outlook

Wherever we are in our journey through this last chapter of our lives, the Lord travels with us. With His help, we can begin today to develop the attitudes and actions that will show the beauty of His love during the most difficult years we will experience. How we journey through the autumn of our lives is our witness of God’s love to our family.