The Best Days of My Life

“Are the best days of your life behind or in front of you?”  

Our Daily Bread’s writer for Aug 1, 2016, suggested that “when we’re younger, we look ahead, wanting to grow up.  And once we’re older, we yearn for the past, wanting to be young again.”  I’m sure that is true for many, and in fact I know many both young and old that even as I write, are experiencing these feelings. But that has not been my experience so far.  

As a teenager, one afternoon in particular, I was in our kitchen sweeping the floor after cleaning up the dishes.  I remember stopping, looking out the window, and thinking about what it would be like when it was my own home I was cleaning, my own family I was caring for. That had been a dream of mine since a very young age.  I wasn’t “itching” to grow up, or wishing I could hurry up and be there, just pondering the future.  In fact, there were more days that I saw the challenges my parents and other adults faced daily and thought it would be nice if I did not have to “grow up”.  Now that I’m older though, I can say with all honesty..neither have I looked back, yearning for the past or wanting to be young again!  I know some that have, but that has never been something I contemplated or even actually wished for.  There are plenty of  days that I feel old, but other days, I’m not even sure I know what that is!  When I was 12, 25 seemed old; when I was 25, fifty seemed old.  And now, that I’m past that, well...90 seems old!!

Lately though, I have found myself saying out loud to my husband things like, “at our age, I thought we’d be slowing down some”, “at our age are you sure we’re up to that?” or, "at our age should we be taking on a new venture?”  While I’m not looking back saying, “Oh to be young again!”, I guess I am feeling my age, and it’s not 25!  

Two years ago on our 35th wedding anniversary, Roger and I decided to renew our wedding vows.  We sensed very strongly that our lives would be taking some turns.  We had purchased a 25 acre farm a few months prior, and that one huge decision “at our age” would be just the beginning of change.  The following spring we moved Roger’s mom to the farm into a second house on the property. That meant four generations were now living and working together.  Then, Roger and I were approached about a change in our job situation, to make the move from being houseparents to 10 teen boys (this was a live-in arrangement for 5 days) to roles in the office.  So, after nearly 9 years of only coming home a couple of days a week, and sometimes not even that often, we were able to come home every evening.  Because of the daily commute the change would involve, if we hadn’t made the move to the farm we wouldn’t have considered it.  We were now strategically halfway between the church he continues to pastor, and our jobs at the children’s home.  It has all served to make me even more sure that the season of change is not over, and that all of this is just preparation for the next stage God is moving us to.  

Our family farm is now an operating business, Hope Springs Farm.  Roger and our son Dan and his family have worked hard over the last 3 years to build from 8 alpacas that were gifted to us as a rescue, and a rabbitry of just a few breeders.  There are now  over 40 alpacas, and a rabbitry of over 100.  Mine is primarily a support role.  I am often keeping the younger children while they are caring for the animals, or maybe riding along with Dan to the processing plant for the rabbits.  As the business grows, time is stretched even thinner as we try to balance the church and our jobs at the ranch with keeping the farm steady, with Dan still working full-time as well.  Steph homeschools four of their six children, while chasing the two toddlers around, and keeps the pantry stocked with everything from mint tea to apple butter to sell at the farmer’s market.  I look at all they do and then think, “but they’re young, they can handle it!  I’m exhausted!  At our age how much longer can we keep up the pace?”  

Roger had gotten off the tractor one evening after being out in one of the pastures and was coming across the yard.  Mom was on our front porch and called out to him, “Roger, you’re working yourself to death!”  He said, “No, mom, I’m working myself to life!”  And that is the key.  It’s all a matter of perspective.  Roger challenges me daily with his zest for life, his go-getter spirit.  But I also see how little he sleeps, and how tired he is on so many evenings.  Yet, there is joy and purpose.  While there are many nights lately that rest alludes us and I question “how long?” our great God guides us and directs us to keep moving forward.  The long-term purpose in all this, and where it might all take us from here is not so much the focus, as is the opportunity to daily just walk in the path He opens up for us.  

The devotional was encouragement to consider that “when we walk with God, whatever our age, the best is yet to come!” I have never been more convinced that this is true.  I understand that age brings its own unique challenges my wonderful husband and I will inevitably face, and some will likely be hard and even painful.  But as grateful as I am for the life we have right now, I believe our best years lie ahead.

It will be our choice.  

What about you?  Looking back,  wishing for a younger, fitter, slimmer you?  Looking ahead, wondering if you’ll ever be financially stable, settled, or satisfied with where life has you?  May I suggest, just enjoy life right where you are!  Don’t be constantly looking back wishing for what’s not, or wasting the precious here and now trying to relive what’s supposed to be in the past.   And certainly do not let your age hold you back or make you doubt life’s possibilities.  And if you’re on the younger side looking forward?  Enjoy the journey, but don’t try to “hang on to your youth for as long as you can”, because, if you’re walking with God, the best years of your life are ahead of you.  Trust God with His great plan for you to have an abundant and blessed life.  You’ll be able to live a contented life, with no regrets.  

It starts right now.