Your Spiritual Calling is Lifelong Part 4: Later Life

God is gracious in your final spiritual call as it is during your later years you prepare for your death. This may sound glum; but it is indeed a gift when viewed in the right lens.

Later life is time filled with losses that remind you of your own mortality. Individuals retire; lose friends, family, and spouses to death; develop physical and cognitive impairments; and experience health declines. You may also experience changes in social status because of changes in income and housing.

Whereas your earlier spiritual calling in your life is a call to action; your later life spiritual call is a call to thought and reminiscing. Individuals that have lived a life of purpose and meaning in earlier stages find a sense of acceptance, wholeness, and peace as they prepare for the dying process. For others, the life review process can cause a sense of hopelessness, shame, and a deep disappointment regarding lost opportunities. The antidote to this sense of despair lies in personal spiritual practices, forgiveness, and re-visioning your past. In addition, it is imperative to seek social support and build ongoing relationships with others.