I Didn't Expect to Live This Long... Now What? When Life Gives You an Encore, What Will You Do With It?

There are moments in life when a single question changes everything.

As I prepared for another Fourth of July weekend—and reflected on a wonderful week celebrating another birthday—I found myself asking a question I never imagined I would ask:

What do you do when you didn't expect to live this long?

For me, that isn't just a philosophical question. It's deeply personal.

Several years ago, following a cancer diagnosis and knowing my family's history of relatively short lives, I honestly believed my time might be drawing to a close. I prepared myself emotionally and spiritually for that possibility. I hoped to finish well. More than anything, I hoped to leave behind something that would continue after I was gone.

But here I am.

Still here.

Still healthy.

Still working.

Still dreaming.

Still believing there is more to do.

During the past week, Karen and I slipped away to the North Carolina coast for a genuine vacation—no computer, very little work, long walks along the ocean, quiet conversations, bookstores, prayer, reflection, and the simple gift of slowing down. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give ourselves isn't another achievement. It's simply enough quiet to hear our own hearts again.

As I walked those beaches, I realized something.

When you've been given years you never expected to have, your priorities begin to change.

You stop worrying quite so much about many of the things that once consumed your attention.

You begin thinking more about legacy than success.

More about people than projects.

More about significance than recognition.

You begin asking different questions.

How do I want to be remembered?

Who can I still help?

What unfinished work is worth completing?

What kind of difference can I still make?

Years ago someone told me something I've never forgotten:

"If your calling can be completed in one lifetime, perhaps your vision isn't large enough."

That thought has stayed with me ever since.

Our greatest work may not be simply what we accomplish ourselves. It may be what we leave behind for others to carry forward.

That's legacy.

That's stewardship.

That's hope.

Another thought returned to me during this past week.

Years ago I read The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker. One of its enduring ideas is that much of human behavior is shaped by our fear of death. But something interesting happens when that fear begins to lose its grip.

Other fears begin to lose their power too.

When you realize every day is a gift, you also realize every day is an opportunity.

You become freer.

Bolder.

More generous.

Less concerned about protecting yourself.

More concerned about investing yourself.

That may be one of the hidden blessings of living longer than you expected.

As we celebrate Independence Day, we naturally think about freedom.

Freedom as a nation.

Freedom as individuals.

But perhaps there is another kind of freedom worth celebrating.

The freedom to become the person God intended us to be.

The freedom to forgive.

The freedom to serve.

The freedom to encourage.

The freedom to live courageously rather than cautiously.

The freedom to leave this world a little better than we found it.

I'm increasingly convinced that our "encore years" are not meant to be years of simply slowing down.

They can become years of mentoring.

Teaching.

Creating.

Encouraging.

Building.

Passing the baton.

Helping others discover their own calling.

Perhaps that is one of the greatest privileges of growing older.

You finally understand that life was never only about you.

It was always about those whose lives you touch.

So if, like me, you've lived longer than you once imagined, perhaps this isn't the end of your story.

Perhaps it's the beginning of your encore.

And perhaps the most important contribution you will ever make still lies ahead.

I certainly hope so.

Because I still have people I'd like to encourage.

Businesses I'd like to help.

Young broadcasters I'd like to mentor.

Entrepreneurs I'd like to inspire.

Friends I'd like to serve.

And transformations I'd like to witness.

If God gives me another day, I'll try to use it well.

If He gives me another year, I'll be grateful.

If He gives me many more, I hope to spend them helping others become fully alive and fully free.

That's becoming my definition of success.

Maybe it could become yours as well.

Things to Remember

Every unexpected year is a gift, not an entitlement.

Legacy is often more important than achievement.

Some of your most meaningful work may happen during your 'encore' years.

Living with purpose is one of life's greatest freedoms.

Things to Share

Ask someone you love, "How do you want to be remembered?"

Encourage someone entering retirement to think about their next mission rather than their last career.

Share hope with someone who thinks their best years are behind them.

Things to Give Some Thought To

If you were given ten more years, how would you use them?

What unfinished work deserves your attention?

Who could benefit most from your experience and wisdom?

What legacy are you intentionally leaving behind?

A Final Thought

As we celebrate this Fourth of July, enjoy your family. Enjoy your friends. Celebrate freedom with gratitude.

But somewhere during the holiday, find a quiet place.

Ask yourself one simple question:

"If I've been given more life than I expected... what should I do with it?"

The answer to that question may become the beginning of the most meaningful chapter of your life.

Until next time, may you live fully, love generously, serve faithfully—and if you've been given an encore, may you make it your finest performance yet.

And if you'd like to see and hear this podcast and video you can choose it from the link right here{

https://youtu.be/zDzzaBz9OT0