Each stage of life has its own obstacles and struggles. But each stage also has its own moments of achievement and possibility. So whether you are in grade school, in college, emerging into the real world, are settling down, have been settled down, are watching your own kids go through these stages or perhaps even your grandkids, remember that we are all in a stage of life that only comes around once in a lifetime. Each person gets to figure out each stage of life before moving on to the next one and the next. If we recognize that we will never be where we are again today, then maybe we will start to live with more urgency. I know it’s tempting to view the stage ahead of us to start planning for the future, but we need to focus on the stage we are currently in so that we can seize this stage of life with intention.
If you are in grade school, I understand wanting to be ahead. Maybe you are in middle school wishing you were in high school. Or maybe you are in high school wishing you were in college. But when adults tell you to enjoy these years because they will be looked back upon as “the good old years,” you have to believe them. They were where you currently are before and they are just trying to help you. Ask yourself what God could be teaching you through school. What life lessons can you learn? Who is God trying to lead you to? How can you make a difference in someone else’s life right now? Just because you are young doesn’t mean you can’t do things. If you think you have to wait until you’re older to follow your dreams, let me be the first person to tell you that you are capable of influencing others right now. Use this time to get to know who God created you to be before going out into the real world.
If you are in college and/or are emerging into the real world things are about to get exciting and difficult. I am currently in this transition period so I don’t know the extent of what this transition is like. But currently, it has been a lot of uncertainty, fear, and sadness. But it has also been one of the most exciting and freeing times of my life! Wherever you are at with this transition from childhood into adulthood, start by recognizing the person you are becoming. This is who God made you to be. Or maybe you aren’t there yet and you are trying to work through pain and past mistakes. But this moment of losing and finding was made just for you. And you are going to do so many cool things in this world if you take in all that you can through this time.
If you are settling down or have been settled down then maybe the initial excitement of life has worn off. Maybe work is mundane and your relationships aren’t as strong as they used to be. Or maybe you’re starting a new chapter in your life of marriage, having kids or adopting, and buying a house. Wherever you are at, ask yourself these questions: What is God doing through me? Why have I been placed in this place or position at this time? How can I show love to the people around me? After understanding that this moment was made just for me, how can I use this moment for its intent?
If you are watching your kids or grandkids going through these stages of life, you might wonder what’s left for you. As a parent or adult, just because you have gone through the stages most often talked about, that doesn’t mean God is done with you. If you are here, that is because you still have a purpose to fulfill. As a parent, it might seem easy to understand why you are here: because your kids need you. But you are here for more than just your spouse and kids. You have your own purpose to fulfill. What can you learn from this stage of life? As adults nearing midlife, you might wonder what’s next. I’m not in your shoes yet, but maybe ‘what’s next’ is what you make of it. I truly believe that you still have a purpose as much as anyone else. Your life holds purpose until you take your last breath. That means that God is still using you. So don’t give up! Keep fighting!
We go through the stages of life only once. There is no going back as much as we try to hold onto the past. That can be scary and frustrating. But maybe if we think about life as a one and done, we won’t waste as much of it. Before you know it, you will be nearing the end, wishing you had done more. So why not now? If this exact moment was made specifically for you by the creator of the universe, how can we look at it as anything less than significant? I truly encourage you to take in every moment you can and live it the way God wants you to so that you can look back on life one day and realize you lived every moment to its fullest.
EMILY DICKINSON 