Stepping into seasons I’ve never known
The start of a new year always excites me and has me looking forward to a fresh start. Who doesn’t enjoy a new beginning or the next chapter in a good book? This year feels a bit different, though. In March, I’ll turn 72, and honestly, that number surprises me more than any before. I’m not sad or afraid, just telling the truth. Getting older reminds me that while today feels familiar, tomorrow is still uncertain. That is the same for all of us. No matter how healthy or fortunate we are, we can never be sure what a new year will bring.
Sharing these thoughts as we age can help us connect and understand each other and offer support to one another by just being there and acknowledging what we all will go through. I believe when we keep these thoughts bottled up, and don’t share, that is when anxiety visits us.
I recently shared these thoughts with the women in my Bible study. I told them that this stage of life feels new and unfamiliar. I’ve never been 72 before, nor have I traveled this far into my journey. Naturally, questions come to mind about the health of both my husband and me, and what lies ahead. They aren’t anxious questions, I’m just curious. As I shared, I could tell that many of the ladies share these same feelings and questions, whether we voice them aloud or ponder them quietly.
The next day, during another Bible study, I read aloud from Isaiah 46.4 and it caught my attention:
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Wow! It felt like God was answering that quiet question in my heart. I hadn’t asked Him yet for reassurance but there it was. God was reminding me that getting older doesn’t mean being left alone. The same God who made me still promises to carry me. What stood out to me most was how gentle God’s words are. He didn’t say, “Be strong,” or “Figure it out.” He said, I will sustain you. I will carry you. Growing older might feel new to us, but it isn’t new to Him. Every part of our lives happens under His care.
Stepping into the unknown can feel uneasy, but it’s never unsafe when God is leading us. Even if we can’t see what’s ahead, His promises stay the same. We aren’t expected to carry ourselves into the future. Instead, we’re invited to trust the One who carries us. Maybe that’s the real gift of getting older. It’s not about losing our certainty, but about growing in trust. There’s a quiet confidence that our lives are still held by our Creator from start to finish.
Oh what a Faithful and Reassuring God we have. I know I can rest in the truth that He will sustain me and carry me through these upcoming years of uncertainty. I know I can trust Him with each passing year.
Be Blessed!
Thank you for this wonderful and heart-felt article, Debby. As we grow older, we all tend to fear the future and the prospect of losing control. Let us be assured that in our weakness and vulnerability God will always be beside us with a loving helping hand.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you.
Amen to that, Victor. As we age, we're just as valuable and loved and He hears us!
DeleteThank you for sharing...I love the promises!!
ReplyDeleteThe timing was totally a God-job. Even though I hadn't asked Him for comfort, He let me know by giving me that verse.
DeleteI will be 71 this year, Debby, so your beautiful article spoke to me loud and clear. Yes, God promises to carry us through everything we may encounter as we age. We don't have to worry because He always has our back. Blessings always!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. It is comforting to know He will not abandon us as we grow older and yes, He has our back.
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