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Marriage and Family Life: The Middle and LateYears

God’s view of aging certainly differs

from many contemporary ideas!As we

age,we should strive for quality of life.

Many older people find retirement to be

a time to fulfill goals they have put off—

such as getting more involved in

volunteer activities,mission projects,

and other mind- and spirit-building

endeavors.

Forthosedealingwiththelossofa

spouse,thechurchcommunitybecomes

paramountinhelpingtoalleviatesomeof

theloneliness.Membersofthechurch

needtoreachouttowidowsandwidowers.

Scriptureacknowledgesthedifficultiesthat

widowsfaceandurgesbelieverstocarefor

them(1Timothy5:16;James1:27).

Christians need to reach out to the

older people around them.More than

one widow or widower has been heard to

say,“I have to go to church because it is

the only place where I can get a hug.”

This can translate to mean“the only

place that I can touch and be touched by

other people.”What a sad commentary

on an all-too-common reality.

While the thought of death is

probably far from your minds during

this academic time in your life,death is a

reality all people face.Christians can take

comfort in the fact their lifetimes are but

a second to God,and they have eternity

waiting in the wings.It may seem

frightening to think about death now,

but as Christians age,they find

increasing comfort in living peaceful

lives and calmly awaiting the next with

their Heavenly Father.

The Christian community can do a lot to ease the loneliness

of the elderly by reaching out to widows and widowers.

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• “But the godly will flourish like
  palm trees and grow strong like the
  cedars of Lebanon.For they are
  transplanted to the Lord’s own
  house.They flourish in the courts of
  our God.Even in old age they will
  still produce fruit; they will remain
  vital and green.They will declare,
  ‘The Lord is just! He is my rock!
  There is no evil in him!’”
  (Psalm 92:12–15).