Coming Soon: The 3rd Third
Embracing the Rest of Your Life Journey
I am now fully immersed in the 3rd third of my life. Over 15 years ago, I hovered at the front door of my 3rd third. It began without my permission one day, as I sat before a cozy fire opening my snail mail. Peeking out from behind the water bill was an invitation to join AARP. There must have been a mistake! Tucked behind that flyer was another ad pitching hearing aids. What could be next? Discounted dentures? Senior living options? A 2-for-1 sale on a mortuary plot? At 55, I knew I had reached the magic age to order off the back of the Denny’s menu, so I suppose it was inevitable. I had arrived.
If I were indeed heading toward the finish line, then I was determined to slow it all down. If possible, I would run this race with good intentions and “finish well.” I heard echoes of bible verses playing in my mind – usually words spoken at a memorial for a truly godly person — “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). Then there are those words that remind us that we are truly not in charge of our life, “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Let’s not forget Ecclesiastes and man’s search for life’s meaning. The Preacher says, “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning…” (vs. 7 & 8)
So, I began journaling the journey. Now, with a few more years of personal insight and multiple stories of others, this book was ready to be written.
The 3rd Third title is not because this is a trilogy.
No, you didn’t miss the 1st and 2nd Third books. Truth is, I didn’t write them! I was preoccupied (more accurately, overwhelmed) with learning about life in the 1st third and lost in the blur of the 2nd third. Not only was I way too busy to write those books, but you were likely much too busy to read them! I trust your life, like mine, is finally becoming less hectic. As grown kids move out and the career draws to a close, retirement becomes a reality. More significantly, the brevity of our lives more obvious to us! You are likely past the halfway mark. I definitely am! Life has flown by.
The daily alarm may not wake you anymore, but the clock is still ticking. How will you use your minutes today? I trust this book will spark meaningful thoughts and deeper conversations about what’s next and what’s important. Each minute of your life matters. It matters to your loved ones, and it clearly matters to God, so it must matter to you. His Word tells us to “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” (Proverbs 4:25-27). It takes careful consideration to age well. Be intentional.
That is why I wrote this book. I’m right there with you, minding my minutes – intentionally. Tick, Tick, Tick.