How do we increase our joyspan?

My husband Jim sent me a great article by Angela Haupt, a writer for Time magazine. Haupt interviewed Dr. Kerry Burnight, a geriatrician who treats older patients each day. Dr. Burnight coined the phrase “joyspan” and defines the term as: “the third piece of the longevity puzzle, alongside ‘lifespan’ (how many years you live) and ‘healthspan’ (how many of them are spent in good health). Joyspan, as its name suggests, describes the experience of well-being and satisfaction in longevity.”

The article also suggests that the sooner in life we make our “joyspan” a priority, the better off we are. It was a great article, and I couldn’t help but notice how, once again, that Scripture has always taught us lessons we don’t fully appreciate and use to govern our lives. Dr. Burnight’s suggestions for aging could be summarized as living with biblical priorities. 

God truly knows what is best for our earthly lives if we just believe and then practically apply his truth.

How do we increase our joyspan? Let’s see how Dr. Burnight and God answer that question.

How do we age with joy?

Dr. Burnight says, “The research groups it into four areas: grow, connect, adapt, and give. They’re all verbs, because they all take effort.” 

We all want to experience joy, but we often want it to happen to us. Biblically, happiness happens, but joy, according to Scripture, is a pursuit, an effort. Psalm 21:6 tells us, “For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.”

The greatest pursuit in life is our pursuit of God’s presence. God knew that we needed him, and through Christ, gave us his Presence when he gave us his Spirit. Joy is becoming increasingly aware that God is near.

How can we increase our joyspan?

  • Grow in our knowledge of, and love for, God. We tend to want to stop growing at a certain age. Growing older isn’t something we like to dwell on. But one of the best things about growing older is growing wiser about our priorities. Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are the gifts of aging if we will continue to seek God’s presence and make the effort to study and walk in his word.
  • Connect with God and others through his Spirit. God created us to need fellowship with him and with other Christians. The Holy Spirit of Jesus will help us with the how, the when, the why, and the words we need. The apostle John told the early believers, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge” (1 John 2:20). The apostle Paul told the church in Corinth, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). When we connect with God and others through the Spirit of Christ, we will develop and enjoy our most meaningful relationships.
  • Adapt to the changes that are inevitable this side of heaven. King Solomon wrote, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). King Solomon’s life was filled with change, and he could never imagine what our century would be like. So, how are his words biblical truth? God looked at the chariots of Solomon’s era and knew that one day drones would fly. God looked at the wall of scrolls in the temple and knew there would be an internet. God looked at the tendencies of mankind and knew those tendencies would remain the same. We must adapt to changes all the time, while our unchanging God simply notices that these changes have arrived. The more closely we walk with God, the more we recognize that change is just the next stepping stone toward our permanent destination. Adapting to change is simply forward progress.
  • Give our best because that is what God gave to us. “For God so loved the world, he gave us his Son” (John 3:16). God set our example when he placed Jesus in the manger to grow up in this world. God taught us about sacrifice when he allowed Jesus to carry his cross and die for our sins. There is a reason people say, “You can’t outgive God.” That said, we need to make the effort to give to others like God gave to us. Jesus taught, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). The joy of aging is that we have a lot to give, and giving is the example of Christ.

What is the measure of our joyspan?

Our lifespan refers to the number of days we spend on Earth. Our healthspan is the number of days we remain healthy on earth. Our joyspan is the number of days we make the effort to enjoy the blessings of God’s presence and purpose in our lives because, for a Christian, that is our greatest joy. 

We were created in God’s image. We were created to live with his joy.

If we choose to measure our days by his joy, we will continue to grow, connect, adapt, and give. Christians know that each day is an opportunity to store our treasure in heaven and go to sleep each night knowing that we are one day closer to eternal perfection.

Aging is a gift of joy when we see it through the lens of God’s truth. Let’s not spend so much time fighting the process as we spend focused on all that we are progressing toward. I hope those thoughts bring you joy today.

Let’s make the effort to live a joy-filled week in God’s presence. His Spirit will take care of the rest.

Live and leave a legacy of faith

In 1988, Jim was a professor at the seminary and was asked to become the interim preacher for First Baptist Midland. He flew out each weekend to preach on Sundays. 

Eventually, the kids and I traveled to Midland with him. My oldest son, Ryan, was two at the time and Craig was three months old. Each Friday, I would pack up our stuff and we would pick Jim up in Fort Worth to make the six-hour road trip to West Texas. 

Our drive to Midland this past weekend brought back a lot of memories. 

We talked about those earlier weekend trips with babies and realized that, to many people, it might have seemed like a crazy thing to do. But we enjoyed being together, even in the car. The speed limit was 55 mph back in those days, and I sure would have enjoyed today’s faster limits!

The first time I saw Midland I was kind of shocked. At first glance, West Texas looks like God grew weary while creating the world and decided to just leave that part of the state simple. I remember when we came over a hill and could spot the tallest buildings of Midland seemingly rising out of the barren dust. 

I asked Jim, “Who would choose to live here?” 

About a year later, we did. 

A strong city and a strong people

Midland sits in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by land with a LOT of oil. The church we served is in the middle of town and has always been a blessing to that city. In many ways, FBC Midland is the strongest church we ever served.  

The church is like the city: diverse in every way, yet unified by their faith. 

It was our joy to be with people we admired thirty-six years ago and still admire today. Our friends look the same, just older. We were there to speak at a senior adult conference. Even as I was speaking, I saw the faces of people who had blessed us as a young couple and continue to bless us today. In many ways, that church helped me grow in my faith and in the right direction for ministry. 

As I sit here typing today, I wonder who will say I helped them do the same. 

I’m in or close to the “final quarter” of my life. As I looked at the faces of so many people I admire, I wanted to finish my life as well as they are finishing theirs. 

A psalm of legacy

I used a verse from Psalm 71 in my message at the retreat. I’m sure I’ve read this psalm before, but it meant a lot to me this time. I hope you will take a moment to read the entire psalm. It is rich, especially as you consider what kind of legacy you want to live and, one day, leave.  

The psalm was likely written by King Solomon for and about his dad, King David. David’s life was difficult in his latter years. His children fought him for his throne. David wasn’t perfect, but he deserved their honor rather than their prideful opposition. 

David is described in Scripture as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). With all of David’s great accomplishments, he is remembered as a person who sought to know, love, and serve God.  

What if each of us made King David’s legacy our goal as well? 

Why was David a man after God’s own heart? 

The answer could be in the words of Psalm 71. Verse 3 describes the relationship he had with the Lord: “Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress” (Psalm 71:3). 

David had a kingdom that was called to serve him. Yet David’s trust was in the Lord, not his earthly power. 

If we consider all the things that give us our sense of security, is God at the top of the list? 

A legacy of trusting God and investing in others

As I studied the faces and the lives of so many friends in our Midland congregation, I was left with a strong impression of what I want for my own life. 

They are older, wiser, and remain people who have led a consistent faith walk with their Lord. They are still the same people we knew thirty-six years ago. They blessed me then as a young pastor’s wife and they blessed me last weekend. I am grateful to God for giving my family such a strong example of faith, and I hope I will be to others what they have been for me. 

In my message I used Psalm 71:18: “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” 

We will all leave a legacy of some kind. Shouldn’t we consider what we want that legacy to be? 

We will be remembered for who we eventually became or for who we chose to become. 

David chose his legacy. He had a plan. He wanted to live a consistent faith throughout his life. In addition to being a man of faith, he wanted to help the next generation know his God as well. He wanted to “proclaim” God’s might to the next generation. 

The need for wisdom

I am currently working on a project that will launch in January. Our ministry studies the culture and tries to help people respond biblically.  

The internet has changed the world and that change will be even more dramatic in the days ahead. It is rare to go anywhere and not view people absorbed by their phones or other technology. We do not lack information and influence from all directions. I often say, “In a sea of information, wisdom matters.” 

Wisdom is knowing what to do with what we know. Without that important step, all we have is information. We cannot know the power of God if we only “know” God has power. We have to rely on God’s power to truly understand his might. King David learned to trust God’s strength early in his life. That’s why he could face a giant with just a slingshot and stones. 

David’s legacy began with his trusting submission to the power of God. His failures in life happened when he was influenced by other things. I would say the same of my own life, wouldn’t you? 

Proclaim his might to the next generation

We all have a calling from God. We need to put feet to our faith and words to our wisdom. Most wisdom is born of experience, and God’s wisdom is a gift to those who will ask him for it (James 1:5–6).  

We are called to invest in the coming generations. As I studied the faces of all those people who invested in a young pastor and his wife, I was filled with gratitude to them and God. I wondered who I might have become without their help. I had a LOT of growing to do when I arrived at that church, and they helped point me in the right directions. 

I want to leave that legacy of faith with others, don’t you? 

What would our witness to others be like if we made King David’s commitment our own? “Even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” 

Let’s live to carry on the legacy we have learned from the godly people we have known. 

No matter how old you are, that is a worthy goal. 

Amen? 

The Big 6-0

Never has a birthday bugged me like this one. By the time you receive this blog post, I will have turned the BIG 6-0. Now, I know some of you are rolling your eyes and saying, “I wish!” But, others are thinking, “I didn’t realize she was that old.” Still, others are saying, “I know! This is a hard birthday!” By the way, I like that response best.

I didn’t enjoy turning fifty, but I figured I might live to be one hundred so I consoled myself with the idea that I had a whole other “second-half” of my life. There is NO chance I will live to be one hundred and twenty. I’m on the downhill side of life and picking up speed! I wasn’t a grandma when I was fifty. Now, I’m a grandma to 3.8 grandchildren. Rachel is due to deliver another boy, the first week of December . . . Pardon me while I grin and say YEAH!!! (Pictures will follow!)

Grandkids are definitely the BEST thing about getting older. The second-best thing is the ability to walk out the door and travel anywhere. So, when Jim asked me what I wanted for my big 6-0, I told him that he needed to book me a few days at Disney World so I can ride every fast, flip-me-upside-down, twirl-me-around ride they have. I choose to turn sixty while I’m riding through the stars of Space Mountain and going from zero to sixty on my FAVORITE ride, the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. (That ride features Aerosmith, a favorite band from my younger years – but that is a whole different blog post.)

Jim and I both have bad backs, which will get a little worse next week. But, I’m packing some Motrin and I’m getting in line. There is hardly anyone who likes Disney better than me. (Well, maybe my friend Sheila Bailey!) I grew up in California, and the name of my street was “Buena Vista.” If you watch an old Disney movie, you will notice it was made at the “Buena Vista Studio.” Yes! My street came to a dead-end at the back entrance of Disneyland, where the studio was. My grandparents lived close by, and we could use binoculars to watch Tinker Bell slide down from the Matterhorn while standing in their driveway. Disney is in my DNA and I wanted to turn sixty with Mickey and Minnie. Come to think of it, they are aging well!

Birthdays that end with a zero seem more significant, but they really aren’t. I’m just one day older than I was the day before. I think one of the biggest differences in life on earth and life eternal is the time factor. Almost everything on earth is measured by time. As King Solomon said, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Solomon goes on to say there is a time to live, a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to harvest. I would add there is a time to ride fast rides and a time to watch the kids ride them. So, I’m headed to Disney now because I’m not sure when that last season kicks in!

Ecclesiastes is not usually on a person’s list of devotional thoughts, but I have always loved that book. There is time for everything on earth, if you do everything when you should take the time to do it. I think Ecclesiastes isn’t about the futility of life; I think Solomon was teaching us about the priorities of life. I think people should live whatever season of life they find themselves in, looking forward to heaven but fully enjoying their moments on earth. If we saw our earthly lives with godly perspective, then things like turning sixty would feel more like standing in line at Space Mountain. The closer we get to the end, the closer we are to the best ride of this life. When we get off the ride, Jesus helps us out of the car and we exit to the gift shop, where everything is absolutely free and stamped “Made in Heaven.”

I think we should try to live healthy lives and spend as long on planet earth as God allows. Each day is the opportunity to live for Jesus and store treasure in heaven, our eternal reward. I’m going to heaven, but I want to bring as many people with me as I can.

That is the way I want to view the rest of my birthdays. If I could take all of you with me to Disney World, for free, I would try to do that! It’s the greatest place I know to have fun! But I can take people to heaven with me, for free! It’s free because Jesus already bought everyone a ticket. How sad if I didn’t make sure everyone got theirs.

I wish all of you a blessed week. I’m unavailable, off the phone, off my computer, and out of touch for the next week. I’m sixty and I’m going to celebrate! (Now, I need to go color my roots. I don’t celebrate everything about getting older!)