In May high school and college seniors begin heading out into the world, diplomas in hand, wondering, “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” It’s a time of exciting — but daunting — transition for these young graduates and for their parents.

Memories of my own transitions to college and beyond come flooding back these days, as I sort through the family mail. The countdown to college has begun for my son, Luke, and daughter, Rachel. Now that they will be high school seniors, they seem to be on the mailing list of every institution of higher education in Kentucky and neighboring states.

Next year these teens will begin living their answers to the question they’ve been asked since childhood: What do you want to do when you grow up? They will learn, as I have, that this pivotal question never really goes away. It keeps coming back at various stages of life: when a college class project inspires a change of major; when the excitement of the first job wears off; when work plans get sidetracked by family commitments; when the company you’ve served for decades begins laying off employees; when a volunteer opportunity opens the door to a new career.

The question has resurfaced for me, now that my husband and I are less than a decade away from what is traditionally regarded as retirement age, and only a little more than a year away from becoming empty-nesters. Like our teenage children, we wonder, “What next?”

In John 10:10 Jesus says he wants his followers to “have life, and have it abundantly.” For Christians, the key question at every stage of life is this: What is God calling me to do? When we live our lives in response to this question, we experience the abundance God intends for us, no matter what our ages or circumstances. God’s abundance does not guarantee money in the bank, but lives that are rich in meaning and relationships.

The cover article in this issue offers some basic principles for living well in life’s later years: keep a positive attitude; find a purpose; stay connected to a faith community. These are not all that different from the themes expressed by many high school commencement speakers. Just as young graduates expect to continue learning, so those crossing the threshold into older adulthood can anticipate new opportunities for mental, emotional and spiritual growth.

The church can help smooth life’s transitions by reminding folks at every stage to listen for God’s call. This means creating opportunities for continuing service and spiritual growth. It means that Sunday school is not just for kids, and youth group members are not the only ones who get to go on mission trips.

When uncertainty clouds the road ahead, I’ve found that old favorite, Psalm 23, to be one of the best antidotes for anxiety: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”

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