Day at the Races: The Far Turn! — Tuesday
Jeremiah 29:10-11
…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised… I know what I’m doing… (MSG)
“Something’s just missing in my life.” Ever hear that? Ever say that? It’s not uncommon among early-twenty-somethings, which is to be expected, but in middle age, life can feel like gray slush on a bitterly cold day. We’re talking this week about midlife challenges, which sometimes become a midlife crisis. Yesterday, we talked about feelings of fatigue and discontentment. Today, let’s consider some others, and guilt and regret shouldn’t go unmentioned. In the middle years, many find themselves saying, “If I had only taken that job. If I’d only bought that house. If I’d only been a better husband, wife, father, mother, daughter, or son. If only I hadn’t committed that particular sin—but I did, and because of it, life will never be what it might’ve been. Midlife tends to amplify our “what ifs” and “if onlys.”
Then there’s disappointment. We didn’t reach the goals we intended to reach. We didn’t get the dream job; someone else did. We aren’t financially secure. We can’t afford the things our friends and relatives have, and we never could afford them. In fact, we come to realize that we’re basically just an average guy or girl passing through, and for some, that’s terribly disheartening.
And of course, there are health issues. Aches and pains sneak in and stay. Muscle tone decreases, body weight increases. We get tired faster and walk slower. In a culture that seems to say, “Only young is fun,” we feel sidelined; we start thinking about our mortality, and we fight back by trying to stave off the inevitable “curse” of aging.
Then there’s grief. Our children leave the nest. Parents become our dependents. We start going to a lot more funerals. The “goodbyes” start to outpace the “hellos,” and it all takes a toll. As Solomon wrote, “The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14, NIV).
Tuesday’s Reflection
Sobering, isn’t it? But take heart, friend—there’s hope! Deuteronomy 23:5 says, “...He turned the curse into a blessing… because He loves you” (NIRV). If you’re struggling with midlife issues today, or just life in general, let that verse waft over you. I’m quoting it for you, my friend, and it’s so very true.
