DON’T LET AGE BECOME YOUR CAGE – by Heidi McLaughlin
Posted: March 26, 2026
The cat’s out of the bag; I turned 79 last week! While in Colombia, South American the calendar showed it was my Birthday and wow did I get celebrated. It’s so refreshing to experience how people in other countries esteem and honour older people. I truly felt cherished and celebrated. Whenever people hear my age, they are shocked and wonder why I am still travelling around the world to speak at churches and conferences. I say: “Why not?”
As Christians in ministry do, we ever retire?
I am so grateful for my body which, to this point, has not let me down. The 31 years of pumping weights in the gym and now these last years of walking and hiking have kept my core strong and infused energy. In the morning when my feet hit the floor, I thank God that my body still works and I am able to start the day with passion and possibilities. Here are some tips which work for me:
- I walk and hike to sustain my energy and to clear my mind. But more. I take time to praise God of the mountains, listen to podcasts and pray and then wait for God to speak to me. Often, I walk just to hear God’s voice.
- With all the hardships I’ve gone through and the death of two beloved husbands, I have refused to become bitter. When we lock ourselves in our own cages of offenses, bitterness, anger, jealousy and all the toxins of unforgiveness, we grow old in our mind and spirit. When we harbour unresolved hurts, they steal our joy and our health and emotional well-being. These unresolved toxins make us old before our time.
- In 2011 I started writing in my Gratitude Journal, and the benefits of this have been pure joy and actually helped me maintain good health. How does that work you ask? Google the benefits of gratitude and you will find that it helps us to live longer with healthier lives.
- Surround yourself with like-minded friends who help us to laugh, pray and share our stories. Truly joy, when it is shared, gives us strength and fresh purpose.
- Knowing that our “old age” has acquired immense wisdom which needs to be shared with the next generation. Not just to share our wisdom, but to listen to the next generation and understand their struggles and give them encouragement.
Our North American “cold” culture does not celebrate old age. So it is up to you and me to determine that age is not determined by looking in the mirror but choosing to embrace each day as a gift from God to live fully and with purpose. It starts with an intentional choice that I will not sit on the sidelines and feel unwanted and invisible. That God has equipped me with gifts and abilities that the world needs, and that I am willing to step into that calling. So make that choice and your feelings and purpose will follow. Ask God to show you how you can live out the best days of your life.
