Reflections at 65

Grateful for the Journey

Faithful to the Calling

Open to Becoming

As I approach my 65th birthday, I find myself in a season of deep reflection and thanksgiving.

Not because everything has gone according to plan.

Not because every prayer has been answered, every dream fulfilled, or every wound healed.

But because, through the changing seasons of my life, I have experienced the faithfulness of God.

I have lived long enough to know that life is not measured simply by the years we accumulate, the achievements we celebrate, or the difficulties we overcome.

It is also measured by the grace that sustains us, the people we love, the lives we touch, the convictions we hold, and the courage to keep becoming.

I Recall – The Journey

I look back with gratitude.

I recall the beginnings that seemed small, the opportunities that opened unexpectedly, the people who believed in me, and those who walked alongside me. I remember the moments of courage, the decisions that changed the direction of my life, and the doors that opened when I could not see a way forward.

I remember, too, the difficult seasons.

Some trials stretched me. Some humbled me. Some changed the course of my life. And some taught me that what appeared to be an ending could become the beginning of something new.

Not every loss was a lesson. Not every wound has healed. Not every question has been answered.

I do not celebrate the pain I endured. I celebrate the grace that sustained me.

Thank You, Lord, for the strength I discovered when I felt weak, the courage I found when the road seemed uncertain, and the wisdom that emerged from seasons I would never have chosen.

I Recount – The Faithfulness of God

When I recount my journey, I see more than a collection of events. I see evidence of divine faithfulness.

There were moments when my strength was insufficient, but grace was enough. There were moments when the path was unclear, but purpose remained. There were moments when I could not change my circumstances, but I could choose how to respond to them. And there were times when the most courageous thing I could do was simply to continue.

I have come to understand that divine commissioning is accompanied by divine backing. The God who sends does not abandon. The One who commissions also equips, sustains and stands behind the one He has sent. Divine backing does not promise a journey without opposition. It assures me that opposition does not invalidate the calling.

And so, today, my testimony is simple: My weakness has not silenced my worship. My trials have not stolen my praise. I have seen enough of Your faithfulness to know that whatever the season, You are good.

Even in my weakness, You are good.
I am not forsaken, You are good.
I will keep on singing, You are good.

My thanksgiving is not the denial of difficulty. It is the acknowledgement that difficulty has never had the final word over my life.

I Give Thanks – For the Gift of Becoming

At 65, I am not merely grateful that I have lived 65 years. I am grateful that, after 65 years, I still have:

• A reason to rise.
• A purpose to pursue.
• Love to give.
• Something meaningful to become.

I am thankful for the person I have been, for the person I am today, and for the person I am still becoming.

I have learned that strength does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it is the quiet determination to rise again. Sometimes it is the humility to seek help, the wisdom to release what we cannot control, or the grace to begin anew.

I am thankful that my experiences have not taken away my capacity to hope, to love, to serve, or to dream. I am thankful that the years have not extinguished my curiosity, my convictions, or my desire to make a meaningful contribution.

There are still ideas to explore, people to encourage, institutions to strengthen, stories to tell, and possibilities to pursue. My purpose has evolved, but it has not expired.

A LINE TO CARRY

“Age has not closed the door to becoming. It has given becoming new meaning.”

On a life still becoming.

Source

Dr Lola Dare, Reflections at 65, 2026.

I Request – Grace for the Journey Ahead

As I enter this new chapter, my prayer is not simply for more years.

It is for years filled with meaning. For wisdom to discern what matters most. For courage to pursue what remains mine to do. For humility to accept what I must release. For grace to nurture relationships, restore what can be restored, and live peacefully with what remains unresolved. For strength to continue serving without losing myself in the service. For clarity to recognise new beginnings, even when they arrive in unfamiliar forms. And for the continued assurance that I do not walk alone.

I pray not merely to live longer, but to live more fully, more intentionally, and more faithfully.

I Respond – With Gratitude, Faith and Purpose

Thanksgiving must be more than words. It must find expression in how I live.

I choose to respond to God’s faithfulness with renewed commitment to the calling entrusted to me.

To remain open to learning. To give generously of what I have become. To invest in people and possibilities. To continue building, even when I may not see every outcome. To recognise that what matters is not merely what I accomplish, but what I enable others to become.

I want the years ahead to reflect a life increasingly grounded in faith, guided by wisdom, enriched by love, and expressed through purposeful service.

I do not know everything the next season holds. But I know enough about the One who has sustained me to face it with hope.

My Thanksgiving Declaration

At 65, I am not merely thankful for what I have survived.

I am thankful for who I am still becoming.

I celebrate not a perfect life, but a life sustained by grace.

I celebrate not the absence of trials, but the presence of God through them.

I celebrate not only the doors that opened, but the courage to keep walking when they remained closed.

I celebrate the people, the purpose, the possibilities, and the privilege of another day.

And above all, I celebrate the goodness of God.

My weakness has not silenced my worship.
My trials have not stolen my praise.
My journey has not exhausted my purpose.

Grateful for the journey. Faithful to the calling. Open to becoming.

This is my testimony. This is my thanksgiving. This is my season.

CONGRATULATIONS.

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