The View From 80: A Look Back

The mission of The Sage Forum is to encourage, equip, and empower women over 40 to mature in faith and grow in wisdom. We send out a newsletter at the beginning of each month focusing on a different theme relevant to women in the second half of life.

The Sage Forum Extra! is a short mid-month reflection meant to offer you a word of encouragement. Today’s Extra! is an extra-special Extra! penned by Sage Forum friend Judy Douglass, who offers us a hot-off-the-press reflection from the vantage point of her 80th birthday, which took place earlier this week. (Happy birthday, Judy!) She is a woman of fiery spirit and deep wisdom, a writer, speaker, podcaster, encourager, widow, mother, grandmother, and friend. You can learn more about her by visiting her website.

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Eight Decades of Gratitude: Reflections on Turning 80

Who knew? Only God!!

I was so blessed as family, friends and Cru staff came to celebrate with me—80 years of life and 60 years on staff.

It was fun, encouraging, a little overwhelming. Many kind words and good hugs. I was honored and blessed, and pretty sure I’m unworthy.

I’m grateful for a day remembering and expressing gratitude. And I am especially thankful that God has taught me—over and over—the need for and blessings from “giving thanks in all things.”

These eight decades of my life have been filled with love, joy, adventures as well as difficulties, challenges, pain and loss. I have learned to say “thank you” for the desirable events and the ones I wouldn’t have chosen.

So here are a few highlights of each of the decades of my life—which I celebrate and give thanks for.

CHILDHOOD

I had a happy childhood, with my parents and three sisters. Yes, we fought some, but we enjoyed playing outdoors together with all the neighborhood children. Sometimes I wrote little plays and convinced the neighbor kids to present them to parents and friends. I felt safe, secure and loved.

TEENS

This, of course, was a more challenging decade. I am grateful for a good education, for years with my horses, for beginning exposure to the world and needs around me. College summers included teaching young girls how to ride horses—I loved it!

Without a doubt, the highlight of my teen years—and my life—was meeting Jesus. My friend Patty took me to a Colorado Young Life camp, where I learned to ski, met cute boys, and met my Savior. I learned that Jesus would forgive my sins and show me His better way for my life. The great adventure of walking with God began.

TWENTIES

I graduated from the University of Texas with a journalism degree and a heart to serve my Lord. I loved beginning to discover who God made me to be and what He created me to do. Writing, editing and leading filled these years, on mission for God with Campus Crusade for Christ/Cru. I grew in intimacy with God, in recognizing the many hard realities of the world we live in and in awe that God invited me to be on His Kingdom-building team.

THIRTIES

This decade was marked by incredible gifts: my marriage to Steve Douglass and our two daughters, Debbie and Michelle. Steve has always been so encouraging to me, believing I can do so much more than I think I can.

Babies, though, were much more challenging to me than years of magazine editing had been. I made new discoveries of who God was forming me to be and learned to appreciate the beautiful girls God had entrusted to me and the amazing, instructive gifts they were.

I am grateful for my first two books, published in this decade: Single and Complete and He Loves Me.

FORTIES

This was a busy decade. The primary focus, parenting, added so much to my life: giving and receiving abundant love, recognizing wonderful strengths and great weaknesses in my life, partnering with my husband in new and meaningful ways. And the joy of watching our girls grow into beautiful human beings.

I began speaking a lot and I published What Can a Mother Do? Finding Significance and Home and Beyond

FIFTIES

God had a life-changing gift for us. That gift was Josh, who came to us at almost 10 from a difficult early childhood. Many issues plagued him from those years and brought formidable challenges to him and our family for many years.

As I struggled to help our son make better choices for his life, God repeatedly reminded me to give thanks in all things. Josh became my gratitude tutor, and I am so grateful.

SIXTIES

Two significant opportunities filled the sixties decade for me.

The first was partnering with Steve to lead Campus Crusade for Christ International/Cru. I lived an ambassador role, writing, speaking, listening, talking—all to love and encourage our global staff, to inspire them to seek to become all God created them to be. My own inadequacy and unworthiness kept me on my knees—in humble dependence and overwhelming gratitude.

The second life-changing reality of this decade was my grandchildren. How many times did I hear, “Wait till you have grandkids!” Indeed and amen! Such joy and fun they have been. What an opportunity to invest in the next generation—it’s become a calling. And oh, the gratitude!

My book Letters to My Children: Secrets of Success came out.

SEVENTIES

This decade brought more travel, writing and speaking, as well as some weariness and less energy. I continue to read, write, speak, love, encourage, pray—for the people in our ministry and my growing and extended family, including 10 grands.

And a great loss. My wonderful, loving, encouraging husband, Steve, began to experience some physical challenges, and God called him Home. My greatest loss, many tears, missing him so—but rejoicing for him and thanking God.

My books Shaped by God and When You Love a Prodigal came out.

And now, as I turn 80, I continue to give thanks.

I never get over it! God chose me, called me, equipped me, opened doors of opportunity, imparted courage, gave wisdom, anointed my words. God astounds me every day with his love and grace! And apparently He isn’t through with me yet.

Until He calls me home, I will keep going, depending, trusting, beseeching—and thanking my loving and gracious God.

For further reflection: Why not take some time to step back and reflect on the big picture of your own life journey so far, as Judy did above. How would you characterize each decade of your life – acknowledging the losses and capturing the gratitude of God’s work in your story?