I recently attended two funerals in the same week, each one for a person who not too long ago I would have considered “elderly.” The sobering thing, however, is that the deceased were parents of friends my age, forcing me to come face to face with the fact that my own parents are probably considered elderly by most people. 

I don’t like to think about that. I want my parents to stay the same age they were when I left home for my first overseas assignment. But the cold, hard facts state that I am older today than they were when we said our first of many airport goodbyes. 

I’m so thankful that a colleague who was taking life coaching classes a few years ago invited me to be her “guinea pig,” because it brought to the surface my disconcerting feelings about watching my parents age from afar. I mentioned that I worried about one of the “what ifs” of life happening before I had the chance to tell them everything I wanted to say, and she encouraged me to find a way to do that before it was too late. The end result was a letter I wrote to celebrate their 50th anniversary, which also helped me reconcile my conflicting feelings. 

“The unwavering knowledge of eternity, and the fact that we will spend it either in God’s presence or far away from him, is what took me overseas. People need to know that truth, and they need to know how to make sure their eternity is spent with God. You showed us how to do that, and taught us to show others, and that’s why I went to Peru. The unwavering knowledge of eternity is also why I can stay here, even when I would love to live closer to home. As David says, our life on earth is just a breath, and I know that we have all of eternity to spend together. 

Psalm 61:5 is my prayer of thanksgiving both to God and to you: For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”