The Quiet After The Harvest: Resting In God’s Purpose For Your Autumn Years

“He who has brought you this far will not abandon you now. Rest in His faithful hands.” ~ A.W. Tozer

I turned 65 this year. Age has never mattered much to me. I always felt it to be but a number, but for some odd reason, turning 65 has felt different. I have sensed a distinct shift in my spirit as I crossed into my mid 60’s.

There isn’t much attention given to this season of life, like there is for your 40s or 50s, when life slows down and your children go off to college or to seek a career path. Most everyone knows that that time of life is called The Empty Nest season. But what is the season when you move into your 60s and beyond called?

Maybe you can relate to this era of life, when life has really quieted down, and you find yourself wondering what your purpose is now.

I recently learned this season of life is called your Autumn Years.

I like this title because like the natural season, when Summer comes to a close and Fall approaches, we notice a transition in the atmosphere. The weather, daylight, and even our mood begins to adjust accordingly. This title, “Autumn Years,'” really resonates with me as I’ve been sensing a change in this season of my life.

This chapter of my story feels very quiet, and at times, that quietness feels deeply empty. There’s a sense of loneliness that is hard to understand- a subtle form of grief. I’m mourning a specific type of closeness-the connection I felt with my three children when we all lived together. Back then, there was an effortless, daily emotional and physical intimacy of shared lives. The grief I feel is that I miss that specific time of life, rather than the loss of any relationship itself.

And yet, an odd comfort lingers in the silence I live in today. I have learned that there is a deep serenity that comes from knowing that the Lord is right here with me. This season of life allows me to feel His presence in a way I have never felt before. And honestly- it’s very special.

Under the stillness of life, we can feel a joyful anticipation that God has something unique for us in this season called the Autumn years.

God often meets His people in quiet places. He met Moses in the desert, and He met Elijah on the mountain. And dear friend, we can trust that He wants to meet us in these Autumn years. It’s in the silence that God does some of His deeper work within us. Psalm 46:10 tells us, “Be still and know that I am God.” The quiet is not an empty wasteland. It is actually a holy meeting place.

If you are in a season of life that feels empty and lacking purpose, I would like to share with you some of the things I am discovering in this quiet season. May they be an encouragement to you and help you rest in God’s purpose for your Autumn years.

Redefining Value

When we are in our younger years, we tend to think that our value comes from what we do- our career, ministry, relationships, etc. But in our 60s we begin to redefine value. I’ve learned that my worth is in Christ alone. It’s not in my daily schedule, my career, my husband, or in anything else.

God has always had a purpose for us, even before we were born. His word tells us so in Psalm 139:16: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Focusing on this has helped me to rest in knowing that even in the stillness I have purpose. My Father in Heaven finds me valuable regardless of my age. I’m learning that purpose can be as simple as encouraging someone or interceding for others through prayer.

There is so much peace in acknowledging that our worth is found in Christ, and not in what we do or what our age is.

Do you know how God sees you? Have you a true understanding of who you are in Christ? It’s critical you do.

God has told us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” No matter what season we are in, this never changes. Loving God and loving others is what God finds valuable.

The Power of Presence

When the noise of a busy schedule fades, we have a rare gift: the time to simply sit with the Lord. Your main ministry now can be deeper intimacy with your Heavenly Father. Although raising children is a high calling as parents, this is a season where you can focus completely on your relationship with the Lord.

This Autumn season also allows for more opportunity to study Scripture and listen for the Lord’s still small voice (Psalm 46:10).

Your purpose in this season might simply be to develop a closer friendship with Jesus than your younger years ever allowed.

Psalm 16:11 tells us that true joy is found simply in His presence: “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.“

There is also more time now for listening and loving others up close. I find that I am so much more attentive to the needs of others.

This season of life allows me to simply rest and enjoy the quiet joys of life.

My faith is stronger today because I have a history with the Lord. I can see how He has carried me through my storms. I have truly tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).

Passing the Torch

Autumn is the time of the harvest, and by the time we are in our 60s we are sitting on a storehouse of wisdom. You have decades of survival stories, answered prayers, and tested faith. Your purpose in this season is to pass the torch to the younger generations. They desperately need your guidance and reassurance. It doesn’t have to be your own children or grandchildren. Your influence can be over any child of God that may cross your path. For example, the Lord has blessed me with friends of my daughter that I’m able to pour into. Sharing my faith with the younger generation brings me tremendous joy.

Make Psalm 71:18 your prayer: to declare God’s power to the next generation.

“Now that I am old and gray,
    do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
    your mighty miracles to all who come after me.”

A New Fruitfulness

God promises in Psalm 92:14 that “Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.” I find this verse to be extremely encouraging. I have to remind myself that even in this quiet Autumn season I have purpose because I can still produce fruit for Christ and His kingdom on earth.

So, in this seemingly quiet, lonely season, I am choosing to change my perspective, and instead of looking at my empty schedule as a source of grief, I’m seeing opportunity to advance the Kingdom of God. I can mentor a young mom, step into a unique neighborhood ministry, or pray for others for extended periods of time,

Fruitfulness in the Autumn season just looks different now.

Finding your purpose takes time and care, just like working in a garden. As we walk through this season, may you be aware of the spiritual warfare around you, and not allow the enemy to tell you lies. Remember, he is the father of lies and a bully who attacks when we feel weak.

In these later years of life, the deceiver will tell us that we no longer have a purpose.

In our older age the enemy will try to steal our value by making us feel useless. His goal is to turn the sweet presence of the Lord into a feeling of lonely isolation. Furthermore, this bully wants to convince us that our torch isn’t worth passing , and tell us that our days of fruitfulness are over. He wants us to believe we no longer have a purpose. It’s critical that we punch the devil back when he harrasses us. He is a liar and a deceiver.

The truth is, you have just as much purpose todays as you always did. If you redefine your value, embrace His presence, pass the torch of faith, and and step into a new fruitfulness, you will be living out the divine plan God created for you before you were even born.

Let’s reject the enemy’s lies, step into the quiet after the harvest, and trust the Master Gardener with our beautiful Autumn years.

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58