My Advice to a Younger Jayne

The Signs of Aging

This week, I tried a new class at the gym. The other three participants were under 30 years old, including the instructor. I anchored the fifty and older age group with my gray hair and crepey skin, but I kept up with them.

 

 

The Advantage of Aging

Aging is like climbing a mountain. The climb may be arduous, but the view from the top gives greater perspective. From the top, people and places look smaller, less intimidating. From this place in my life,

I can see more hope than discouragement.

I can see more wisdom than perplexity.

I can see more reason to trust God.

Life isn’t getting easier as I age because I’m experiencing more loss. Recently, I met with a woman who was facing a new diagnosis and the anxiety associated with the unknown. Last winter, a childhood friend departed this life after fighting cancer for five years. Then, this week, I had an appointment with the doctor who oversees my health. She frequently tests my cortisol and DHEA levels since those indicators reflect my energy level and how my body is dealing with stress. The bottom line: I can’t waste adrenaline on something unless it’s really important. However, the temptation to burrow in and wait it out doesn’t entice me.

The Advice I Wish I’d Heard

With kingdom work left to do, these days I’m asking Jesus to show me the wisest ways to spend my energy. Here are 2 words of advice I wish that I could give younger me:

• Work at remaining in Jesus and resting more than you work at anything else. He’s the only thing that matters in this life or the next one, so let learning to love Him consume you. The rest will follow. As you spend time listening and staying near Him, He will show you where to spend your energy.
• Let your children struggle more. Let them do more. You do too much for them. Let them do it wrong and then let them do it wrong, again. They will fold towels and clothes the wrong way, stuffing them into drawers. Let them make dinner when you’re tired, even if it means eating peanut butter and jelly or spaghetti every night. They will become functional, healthy adults no matter what they eat for dinner or take for lunch or whether they wear wrinkled clothes.

These lessons and others that I’ve been learning about living in Jesus come from John 15:1-11. I’ve written about them in a short book, Surrendered: Learning to Trust & Rest. It’s designed for busy women with short readings for 30 days. Surrender can be purchased here as a soft cover book or a downloadable PDF for easy reading on your smartphone or tablet. I’m so excited for you to read it that I want to send you the first chapter free for subscribing to receive my blog.

 

Stay rooted.