In her book, The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully, Joan Chittister asks, “What am I when I am no longer young enough to strive for a position, to garner another trophy, to get another raise, to race off in the morning to put in hours at the local office of some company?”
Most of our lives are centered around doing: doing things for our children, doing something for a living, doing something at church. One day, that changes, and we are left with what seems to be little or no identity.
God helped me to realize that we each need somewhere we can make a contribution–something that is bigger than ourselves. We must remember who we are and continue to share God’s love. We must embody the gifts and practices that have made us who we are. As daughters of God, we are each unique and have valuable contributions to make.
A wise person once said, “The older generation has a great deal to give the world. But first, they must come to value it themselves.”
This message is excerpted from “Value who you are,” by Patti Austin from the July 25, 2016, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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