Embracing Your Future

How to do life? We each grew up watching our parents, teachers and other significant adults in our life to gain our clues. Those we watched were mostly in their twenties and thirties, perhaps pushing into their forties and they were busy raising families, going to jobs, keeping house, having friends and being involved in outside activities like church, clubs and sports. If we were lucky to have positive role models, we learned how to be a supportive family member, how to build relationships and how to be a contributing member of society.

We watched, we learned, we grew and we "did life." What we probably didn't see clearly was how to "do life" when life moves into its second half. I think too, that I didn't want to see it...I didn't want to think about my parents in that part of life, didn't want to think about the day when they would be gone...so I didn't. I didn't want to think about my ever being in the second part of life...so I didn't.

In our fifties and sixties, changes and transitions begin to happen with rapidity, some we anticipate, some take us by surprise. What shook me up, though, as I moved into my fifties, was when I tried to use strategies from the past, to deal with current ups and downs, they didn't seem to work any more. Change flipped everything upside down. Who I thought I was suddenly didn't fit any more.

How we defined ourselves for years as we raised families and were a part of the work world changed. How we navigated ups and downs in the past didn't work so well in the present. How we found purpose shifted or was gone. The changes came firing at us, professionally, personally, physically (I could go on about that, but I won't...), relationships, emotionally, and more. Our self-worth and self-view sometimes took a beating, we were suddenly not in charge, not the leader, not the parent raising children, not a voice always listened to.

There is a need, as we move from the first half of life to the second half, for us to deliberately focus on ourself, past and present and to begin making decisions about how to live a future with purpose. The goal of this book is to help guide you in that process of self-exploration. It will encourage you to idenity what matters to you now and to look at the impact your past experiences have had on you. We will look at the transitions inherent to this time in life and how to move through them in a faith-based manner. We will consider who we are, what God wants us to be, how we build relationships with others, and the importance of relationships and support, especially at this time of life. This is a time of life to fully embrace our faith, to learn more about how God is preparing us to be fruitful in the future and to understand that we each have a critical role to play in His mission to the world, right now.

This book is comprised of ten chapters, each with sections of text, followed by reflection questions and spaces to jot down your thoughts, right in your book. If you are using this study on your own, this format will help guide you to a greater degree of self-understanding and growth. If you are using this book as a part of a small group study, you will be ready to share when your group meets. A small group is recommended as it is a wonderful place to meet and get to know other women. It also provides an oportunity to support others and find personal support as you each explore your own journey and purpose in the future.

It is important to be there for others. As much as this study is about your journey, about helping you understand yourself better, about your faith-walk and helping you move toward your dreams, purpose, service and legacy, there are times when someone else may just need someone to listen to them and that someone might be you. There also may be times you need someone to listen to you and the goal is that someone will be there for you too.

So let's go exploring...uncover more about who we are, whose we are and open wide the doors on a faith-filled, purposefully future in this second half of our lives. God has much for us to do, He has joy to surround us with, golden moments to treasure. Embrace the beautiful future God has prepared for you!