How Big Is Your Midlife Vision?

Rounding the corner into the new year is a great time to ask “how big is your midlife vision?”

Without meaning to, most of us significantly underestimate the influence of our life. We may even feel the best years are behind us and we missed it.

Quite the opposite is the case!

Every time you attend a family event with your kids or grandchildren, you can speak into their life. Your influence can expand over multiple generations. Most of the time you just have to show up and God will guide you in what to say and do.

In Genesis 21:33, there is a ramarkable verse that illustrates this. It might not be obvious at first glance. Here is how it reads:

And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

I want to thank Ray Vander Laan, Bible historian and teacher, for explaining the significance of this verse.

Abraham had not yet possessed the land that God had promised him. Digging up the arid soil to bury the seed of a tamarisk tree was tantamount to saying “This land is mine and God will be true to His promises!”

Ray notes that the tamarisk tree provides life-saving shade in the hot desert. However, it is very slow growing. The Bedouins say, “We plant tamarisks for our grandchildren,” meaning that they nor their children will enjoy the shade, but their grandchildren will.

Beersheba was also a distinct location in which to grow this tree. It represented the southernmost boundary of the Israelite monarchy in later years. Abraham chose the farthest place he could find to mark out the land he believed God would give him.

It was a memorable ceremony for Abraham to plant this slow growing tree at the farthest boundary he could find. He had a large vision for the future that would impact future generations of his people. Then “he called on the Lord (Yahweh), the Everlasting God.” He publicly declared that he totally trusted God to fulfill His promise because that was the meaning of His name, Yahweh–God of the promise!

This verse and the ceremony that Abraham did inspires us to do several things:

1. Dream big for the future. What represents your expanded vision for setting a far boundary in Beersheba?
2. Plant a tamarisk tree. What would be the equivalent of planting a tamarisk tree in your life and family? You can have a multi-generational impact on others. Do you believe that?
3. Call on God. He has plans for us to accomplish that will influence future generations. God is ready to move on it. Are you? Genesis 21:33 tells us we should!

Thinking about these three areas would be a valuable thing to do in a time of prayer with the Lord. Writing down what God puts on your heart will be good for future reference and keep them at the forefront of your mind.

And continue to ask yourself, “How big is your midlife vision?” God will help you fulfill it for His glory in the coming year!