Jane Thibualt names it in her reflection on the pilgrimage of the last third of our lives: we are “following a call to advance.” We are on a pilgrimage unlike any we have ever known. We are heading into, indeed many of us have already started, a time of the unknown and the often uncomfortable. We can take this pilgrimage with the eyes and mind of the secular world with its determination to ignore aging and dying, or we can take it with “the mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5) knowing that this pilgrimage gives us the opportunity to draw ever closer to our God who is our ultimate destination.
As we travel, we will learn from our own experiences and from our companions. In this book, the authors do not so much “teach us” as invite us to reflect on own thoughts and feelings at this time of our lives by giving us their reflections.
As we go through each of the gateways or portals that the book introduces and that we are likely to encounter in these years, we can see it as a time of discovery. How do we now perceive our past and current relationships, our own history, and the years we have ahead of us, however many they may be? With what intentionality shall we draw closer to the God who created us and sustains us?
There are seven reflections from Jane and Richard in each gateway of the book. A good pace would be to read one a day so you can spend some time pondering the reading for the day. As you read, we suggest you keep a journal or notebook nearby to capture your thoughts.
Note that there are questions for reflection at the end of each reading. We also offer some of our own. That’s a lot of questions. We invite you to choose a couple of the questions that resonate with you and reflect in your own words in a journal or with art or some other medium.
The Wisdom Years 