The Spiritual Fitness Check-up for the 50-Something Woman

Excerpt by Sharon King−

Introduction

We’ve all had to endure it. After the celebrations and the “Now You’re 50” birthday balloons from our friends and relatives, off we go to our doctor for the midlife checkup. From our hairlines to our hormones, we see and feel the changes that come with age. Knowing that several million other “Baby Boomers” turned 50 at the same instant you did doesn’t seem to help. We may be part of the largest aging group in the world; but, when we’re sitting in the doctor’s office, wondering why our blood pressure is higher than normal, aging gets truly personal.

Having worked in the field of gerontology, I am well aware of the ways aging affects the body, the mind, and the personality. So, when I turned 50, my perspective of the event was well-grounded in facts and theories. As it turned out, the view from my 50th birthday was quite different from what I had anticipated. As a Christian, I was ready to start cataloging everything from the first 50 years of my life for which I wanted to thank God—and all the issues I genuinely needed to discuss with Him in considerable detail. But, as the cataloging progressed, unusual items surfaced—doubt, regret, loss, resentment, disappointment—feelings which were far less rosy than the pink icing on my birthday cake.

Finally, I figured it out. Those conflicting feelings probably marked the beginning of my so-called “midlife crisis.” True, my physical changes contributed to my emotional ones; but, I realized that, in addition to a physical checkup, I also needed a spiritual checkup. The One who created me needed to participate in my midlife assessment process.

Perhaps you have celebrated your big 5-0, or will soon. You may find that your first 50 years of life have been a bit more of an adventure than you planned. Perhaps your journey through five decades has left you thrilled with your life, or maybe your years have left you winded, wondering when you will get a “breather.”

Wherever you are when you move into that second half-century of life, now is a good time to pause and take a snapshot of your spirituality. Midlife offers a terrific opportunity for a spiritual fitness checkup for several reasons. The hoopla around your “big 5-0” focuses your attention on the progress of your life and offers a natural “half-time break” for reflection. Also, many of us face significant life stage adjustments in our 50s and 60s, like grandparenting, retirement, “empty nesting,” and caring for aging parents.  All these life events affect us spiritually, as well as emotionally and physically.

You may not immediately think of spirituality when you think about fitness. Perhaps “fitness” conjures up all those awful TV commercials about exercise equipment that promises to make you “high school skinny” overnight. Just as physical fitness involves far more than mere weight loss, spiritual fitness is about more than making sure you get to church each Sunday. To be spiritually fit, we need to make a conscious effort to follow a strategy that helps us assess and strengthen our relationship with God.

This book outlines the steps one needs to conduct a spiritual fitness checkup. Following the steps of a routine physical exam, you can use this book as a guide to tone up your relationship with God at midlife. For each step of the checkup, I present an overview, a scriptural reflection, and a “Spiritual Pulse Check,” with journaling exercises so you can apply these lessons to your own life.

So, curl up with a soothing cup of green tea and begin your spiritual checkup. You won’t have to wait for any lab results to find out how you’re doing. God is ready to provide you with instant feedback. No one is more eager to celebrate your midlife milestone with you than He is. After all, He’s been with you from the beginning, and He’s ready to take you the rest of the way.

Available in electronic format on Amazon.com and at Healthy Life Press.

Author Bio
Sharon is a retired gerontology professor who writes self-help devotional books for 50+ women. In addition to her academic journal articles about religion and aging, Sharon has published several inspirational ezine articles and Christian Education curricula. Her new book, Aging Gracefully with the 23rd Psalm, will be published later this year by Anaiah Press. Connect with Sharon on her blog at www.yearsfullofgrace.wordpress.com.