Aging Gratefully: Make Peace With Aging & MidlifeSample

Every Texan knows a chain of travel stops called Buc-ees. Perhaps you know it too? They’re known for their great snacks, barbeque sandwiches, and an iconic beaver whose image you can find plastered on everything from lawn chairs to knee socks.

If you’re traveling by car through the Lonestar state, you always know when you’re within a few hours’ drive of Buc-ee’s because that’s when you’ll start seeing their billboards. Pithy phrases about their clean bathrooms or their one-of-a-kind “beaver nuggets” accompany a mileage countdown. My favorite is, “262 miles to Buc-ee’s, you can hold it.”

I’ve spent most of my life counting down the miles to desired destinations. I’ve focused on the full calendar days, not the empty ones. I’ve lived from event to event, missing what’s in between. It’s tempting to keep my focus on the next holiday weekend, vacation, or celebration and miss the everyday opportunities God grants me. What would it look like to treat weeknight dinners, trips to the grocery store, or walks to the mailbox like God-ordained moments?

Maybe this is why Psalm 90:12 encourages us to number our days. When we count only the big milestones, we miss those mile markers—the minutes, the hours, and the days that characterize our lives. How much do I miss in everyday life because I’m busy dreaming about what’s fifty miles ahead? If I number my days, perhaps I’m less likely to miss one.

The apostle Paul reiterates Moses’s message in Ephesians 5:15–16 when he says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days” (NLT). It’s easy to get so caught up in life that we miss out on living it for God and His kingdom. We steward our time well when we see it as a gift God granted us to use for Him.

Today I can be grateful for the freedom to live each day— both the ordinary and the extraordinary—to the fullest for God’s glory. I can be thankful for each milestone and mile marker I’ve passed, knowing they are gifts from God. I can find rest in the knowledge that He holds each day, each month, and each year securely in His hands.