LifeDate Fall 2025 – Life … as We Age
by Virginia J. Flo, Director of Volunteer Relations
“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me until I proclaim your might to another generation” (Psalm 71:17-18a).
How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m too old for that, let the younger ones do it.” I am guessing you have heard it, too, and may have even said it. Yes, there are things we can no longer do or things that become more difficult to do as we age.
Let me quote an old philosopher: “If there is a will, there is a way.” We sometimes are too quick to step aside and use our age as an excuse. I include myself in that as I, too, am no longer a youth.
One of the greatest gifts God has given to people in their twilight years is the gift of wisdom and mentorship that comes from life experiences. Many grandparents are good at this because they can hand down some of that wisdom to generations after them. Even though you may think that young people scoff at what older people say, they really do soak up the wisdom shared. (Through mentoring, you don’t even need to be an actual grandparent to share your life lessons. It’s a gift you can give to the youth in your life.)
I marvel at some of our Lutherans For Life Frontline workers who are still working in the field in our Life Chapters, Life Teams, or as a Life Advocate sharing God’s love For Life. We have people serving who are in their eighties and nineties who helped start a Life Chapter thirty to forty years ago. That is amazing! Do they have the same energy or physical abilities? Probably not, yet they have the passion it takes to proclaim God’s power and grace!
Change is an inherent part of life. We may not want it, but it’s going to happen. A number of years ago, I listened to a business futurist relate change to riding a horse. If you fight, it’s like riding the horse backward, and it will simply go where it pleases. If you ride the horse in the direction it is going, you can hang onto the reins and guide it. That’s the place I want to be: involved, guiding, advising, and mentoring others. We Lutherans do not have the best reputation when it comes to this: CHANGE. It’s a word we try to ignore or walk away from. I’d rather call it INNOVATION, as we keep the good things and simply find new ways to present them.
There is one thing, though, that never changes. That is our God, who continues to be there for us, still providing the benefits He gave us through our creation and our redemption, and who still offers us the gift of eternal life promised through our Baptism. That we can count on forever. Why would we ever stop sharing that message? As we read in Psalm 71:18: “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” These words are so especially important as we mentor both verbally and through our actions, loud and clear, that we stand firm in our belief in Jesus our Savior.
If you are getting older and no longer middle-aged, and you still serve in one of our Frontline groups, you may wonder about how to engage younger people in this important work. I’m not going to say it’s simple or easy. Yet, with concerted effort and a willingness to be innovative, it can be possible. Although you may not realize it, sometimes we older people tend to tell vs. ask because we are so certain of what is needed. So, when inviting someone to your meeting, try to stay away from phrases like, “You should come,” and go with something more appealing like, “We’d love to have you, please consider coming to a meeting and then decide if you want to join.” When they do come, don’t assign tasks right away, even if they are really needed and have the skills. It needs to be their decision and their timeline.
Also, maybe that middle of the day meeting could move to later in the day, so those who work might attend. Think about starting sub-committees that younger people can be part of. Let them meet when they can and do the work at home when younger children are napping. You may be surprised at the outcome.
God has been our teacher from our youth to old age. May we all be able to proclaim His wondrous deeds as long as we are here on earth. He is a gift For Life.