I can tell I’m getting older. For one thing, the guy staring back at me from the mirror has more wrinkles and grey hair than he used to. For another thing, my relationship with my two boys Trent and Troy is different than it used to be. Years ago, we’d wrestle, and I could pin both of them to the floor at the same time. Fast forward a few years, and I could only wrestle one at a time – and it was a coin flip as to which of us would win. By the time my boys finished high school, there was no doubt that either one of them could take me down.
Fortunately, my boys don’t need me to challenge them physically anymore. They need me to challenge them intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. We no longer wrestle on the floor; we wrestle through meaningful conversation about ideas important to living a life that honors Christ. We’ve grown closer by sitting around a fire pit and sharing good conversation together.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that while getting older isn’t always easy, it comes with certain benefits. With age, comes opportunities to gain wisdom – and wisdom helps us face challenges in life with a positive attitude and a deep sense of humility, both of which are essential if we hope to thrive through new seasons of life.
Getting older gracefully means growing in wisdom and humility. Both empower us to let go of what was, so we can embrace all that could be.