The Real Battle of the Ages

A few years ago, my daughter and I made an agreement: I’d let her do my eye makeup if she’d let me style her hair. I went first. I worked the diffuser through her thick wet curls, and she complained that it was too hot on her scalp—wimp! (Love you, Tal.) Then she tried to apply her fancy eye makeup but failed due to my aged eyelids having lost their elasticity. Our attempts flopped, but we both gained understanding from the experience.

Oh, to have young skin again! Yet, I’m discovering an even greater reason to embrace my crows feet. You see, I’m in the middle ages, between youth and elderly, and I’m noticing a disconnect between the two that’s worth trying to reconcile.

Do you fear aging? Do you fight against it? Does it scare you to see certain segments of the younger generation disrespecting their elderly counterparts, as if the silver-haired community no longer has anything of value to offer? 

The shortsightedness that accompanies immaturity blinds us to our lack of experiential knowledge—and we’ve all been there. When we observe a generation that’s overly peer-dependent for input on how to survive this world, let this raise a red flag. No matter our age, when we fail to learn from those who came before us, we shortchange our own future.

Ignorance is not bliss; nor is repeating history. If I were given a choice between the energy of youth and the experiential understanding attached to aging, I’d choose understanding. Why? Because both success and tragedy fill the span of one’s life, and while no amount of youthful energy can stop this cycle, seasoned wisdom knows how to steward both joys and sorrows. Of course, that choice doesn’t actually exist, and we have to have to go through the cycle. But that’s the whole point! We have access to a source of wisdom to help us through.

Public school systems condition us to embrace age-segregation and peer dependence from day one of kindergarten, and it takes effort to unschool our minds in order to function as compassionate members of society. I learn a lot from my millennial friends, as well as from like-minded peers who process current affairs the same as I do. But I want wisdom from the person who’s lived through the decades I’m soon to experience. And think about this: if we neglect the older generation today, then in forty years, the 20-somethings will become the next neglected generation. Let’s not repeat history.

Be brave! Step out of your decade and draw close to someone who is older in the faith, one who has survived dark times and is still smiling. Every age holds value, but only one has reached a stage of life that allows for ample time to spend meditating on the Word and communing deeply with the Ancient of Days. If there’s a sparkle in their eyes, that’s telling me something—they’ve got secrets I need. For survival.

So I’m on the lookout for the sound mind amid chaos, the evidence of supernatural peace that transcends human understanding, and the perseverance in Christ that sustains…. The person who has cultivated a tight relationship with Jesus might have an anointing or a mantle to pass on that’s essential for my next season.

“Stand up in the presence of the elderly,

and show respect for the aged.

Fear your God. I am the Lord.”

Leviticus 19:32 NLT

The God of 3 generations — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — clearly cherishes every age. Do you share His same heart, His same love?

Sowing Seeds of Bravery to be Discipled