Making the Most of the Best of Your Life: Enjoying the Challenges of Maturity

"Far from being a curse, could it be that aging may be one of life's greatest gifts?" So sums up the outlook of Kathryn Grant, mother of four and grandmother of five, about entering the era sometimes called the "mature" years. Grant, who steps into a new phase of life when she and her husband, Worth, return to the U.S. from careers as missionaries in Japan, becomes determined not to rust out and throws herself into a whole new stateside career as she settles into "seniorhood." From her own experiences, Grant offers a treasurehouse of inspiration and guidance for making the most and the best of the years ahead. With wisdom, faith, and hope, she and co-author Penny Giesbrecht tackle such topics as building friendships with grown children, deepening intimacy and partnership in marriage, caring for one's own aging parents, dealing with personal illness, and finding deliverance from fear. Regarding finding opportunities for ministry as older adults, Grant writes, "There is no retirement age in God's kingdom work, no times when we're all washed up and no one needs us. In fact, if we're ever responsible for ministry, it is now," she says. Grant is assistant to the president for women's affairs at Palm Beach Atlantic College and director of Baptist Women for Washington, D.C., all after retiring from the mission field. When a painful fall puts Grant out of circulation for weeks, the author realizes she has a choice of grumbling or coping positively. In retrospect, she reports that God enabled her to "squeeze grace and joy" out of one of life's "most rotten events." Grant addresses the reality of death, stating that the mature years are times for Christians to decide whether to put feet to their faith or merely give lip-service to it. "We can choose to accept aging as a gift or we can deny life's mortality and live for the moment. The victory gained by the cross overcomes the fear of aging and death. We learn how to die by living in Christ."

Kathryn Grant is assistant to the president for women's affairs at Palm Beach Atlantic College. She previously served as a missionary to Japan, director of Baptist Women for Washington, D.C., as founding vice president of Prison Fellowship International, and as a representative of Prison Fellowship International to the United Nations. She and her husband, Worth live in West Palm Beach, Florida. Penny Giesbrecht is author of Where is God When a Child Suffers?, conference speaker, wife, and mother of three children.