09/05/2026
LESSONS FROM AN 89-YEAR-OLD WOMAN OF GOD
Dee and I have been spending extra time with my mother, who turns 90 next year.
I’ve observed that aging often reveals what has been cultivated in us over a lifetime. Some elderly become more critical and negative. Others seem to become more gracious, grateful, and full of life.
Someone once said, “When you are born, you look like your parents. When you die, you look like the choices you’ve made.”
When I look at my mother, I’m inspired by her choices.
Sixty-two years ago, she and my dad left their family, country, language, and everything familiar to follow the call of Jesus. She boarded a ship with a six-month-old baby and an 18-month-old toddler. The years that followed included rugged places, new languages, constant moves, and plenty of hardship.
Today, at almost 89, she lives independently in a small apartment outside Santander, Spain. She is joyful, content, spiritually alive, and deeply engaged with people.
I’ve been paying attention to some of the habits that have shaped her:
• She reads or listens to five chapters of the Bible every day.
• She listens to two sermons a day and takes notes, including my Bold Steps messages 😁
• She walks 45–60 minutes every morning.
• She keeps a prayer list and prays faithfully for people by name.
• She attends both Sunday services because she doesn’t want to miss seeing anyone.
• She regularly meets people for coffee and conversation.
• She asks questions and stays genuinely interested in people.
• She looks for the good and avoids complaining.
These aren't complicated habits.
Stay close to God. Keep moving. Keep learning. Keep praying. Stay connected. Love people. Choose gratitude.
You don’t suddenly become a joyful, godly 89-year-old person. You become that person through thousands of small choices made over a lifetime.
I’m grateful for the woman I get to call Mother. Her life reminds me that growing older can also mean growing deeper, wiser, and closer to Jesus.
“There is no more beautiful sight on earth than an aged Christian woman who has walked with God for decades. Her face reflects the dawn of heaven.” attributed to Charles Spurgeon