In the West, gone are the days — if they ever existed — when age represented wisdom and elders were respected as repositories of knowledge. Now Google is our elder. Independence and ingenuity our gods. 

So it’s no wonder that most of us resist growing old. Who wants to lose independence and mental faculties? Who wants to become less useful?

Aging can be a sad and scary thought. Is there a way to reframe our thinking?

In a new article for Renovaré, author and spiritual director Alice Fryling (77), writes:

“All my life I have been a person who meets needs, fixes things, and expresses love by practical engagement. But now I don’t have the energy, the expertise, or the opportunity to do many of those things… It is painful to let go of accomplishments that can be measured and complimented. It takes the ongoing experience of transformation to see the grace God has for us in the losses.”

Her candid interview with Nathan Foster on the Renovaré Podcast this week dives into what it looks like to age faithfully — which for productivity-driven personality types may include surprising steps like ​“practicing the discipline of irresponsibility.” (Listen to the episode for the full context on that.)

Whether you are in the Summer, Autumn, or Winter of your life, may the Lord empower you to grieve the losses and receive the sometimes-hard-to-spot graces that come with growing older.