My Life And Mission

On June 9, 2023, I turned 74. This article is a reflection on my life, as well as my senior years. It is also a testament to God’s grace. I have been through financial hardship, living from paycheck to paycheck, stood in unemployment lines, and gone from job to job. I have had to deal with anger issues, low self-esteem, and depression. There were broken dreams and unfulfilled goals. I drifted along in life, not going anywhere, allowing circumstances and relationships to control me. This describes the first 50 years of my life. Through all of this I was a Christian, but my life had no purpose, and things really started crashing down. Even my chosen profession of music (in which I have a degree) was not going anywhere.

It was at the age of 50 that I decided things needed to change. I went to Christian counseling, read tons of books, and realized what needed to change was my thinking. After dealing with the many issues of my past, I wanted to start making a difference in the lives of people, and to live with purpose and intention.

Something I had always been good at was writing, with a desire to become a published author. So, I decided to put my life experiences into a book. My first book, “God’s Healing Hope: Breaking the Strongholds of Wrong Thinking,” was published at the age of 59. A few years later I started posting articles on Faithwriters, with positive feedback from people all over the world. At last, I saw a purpose for my life. It was writing! And God was using it to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Over the last 15 years, I have published another book and 3 poems. I have done freelance for local papers and various websites. For five years I shared my life experiences and shared the gospel with the homeless, hurting, and helpless, at my local rescue mission. God has blessed my writing ministry with over 1.3 million views from people on six continents! The point of all this is that you are never too old to see God’s purpose unfold.

As a semi-retired person, I have a wonderful part-time job at a major retailer, and am still involved in music, singing in a choir and solos at church, but God has been most gracious by bestowing upon me the gift of teaching through writing. I will continue to write until I can no longer hold a pen or type on a computer. My mission is expressed in Psalm 71:17-18. “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, your power to all those to come.”

What are you doing to leave a legacy and make a difference? What is your purpose and mission in life? Will you finish strong in your faith and in seeing your mission unfold?