As the average life expectancy for Americans nears 80 years, people are faced with decisions that impact not only how long they will live, but also how well they will live.
Quality of life is a primary concern for senior adults, and for many, faith makes a tremendous difference in how they look toward the future.
Mary Knight, 70, of Ashford, says she has hope for the future because we all have a reason for living. “God’s Word says we all have a purpose for being here,” said Knight, a member of Wayside Baptist Church in Ashford. “I’m just thankful that the good Lord has left me here this long. I enjoy every day.”
Gloria Irby, 79, of Satsuma says that there are really no negatives to living longer. “Your health is always going to keep you from participating in a lot of things, but that goes for younger people as well.”
The loss of physical health is just one of the concerns senior adults face. In fact, Conrad Howell, associate pastor and senior adult minister of First Baptist Church, Jasper, says that loss is probably the most significant part of aging.
“Senior adults lose their jobs through retirement. They lose their spouses and sometimes children. They lose their identity. They can lose pride, and from their perspective, they lose some financial security,” Howell said.
The fear of loss can be strong as well, and perhaps the biggest fear, although it is seldom discussed, is the fear of dying.
Curt Amos, a member of Riverbend Baptist Church in Rainbow City, knows that fear. When he was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago, he was forced to think about his own mortality, and it was a frightening prospect at first.
“When you get the ‘big whammy,’ it’s rough,” Amos said. “But when you have time to think about it, to pray about it, and to reach back to your faith, you can deal with it.”
Amos said his faith has meant everything to him in dealing with his diagnosis, and he knows his testimony is important as well. “When you are faced with something like this, you can’t just quit,” Amos said. “If you just sit down and give up, you’re no use to anyone.”
Amos said that the way he deals with his disease will no doubt be an example to other people, and he hopes that others will remember how his faith has sustained him in the face of his illness.
For Amos and others with serious health conditions, medical science offers hope for treatment. But for many families, the decisions go beyond treatment and cure into the realm of prolonging life, for better or for worse.
“There isn’t any question that medical science has brought about longevity, and there is also no question that it has brought about a higher quality of life,” says Chriss Doss, director of the Center for the Study of Law and the Church at Samford University.
“But medical science has also brought problems for some of those who have survived,” Doss said. “Although they’ve been given additional years, in many cases some of those additional years took a plunge as far as the quality was concerned.”
For Knight, quality of life is very important. “I would not want to have my life extended if I was not aware of what was going on around me, but as long as I could look after myself and be with my family and church family, I would be so thankful to have that opportunity.”
Like Amos, Knight believes that her testimony is important to the younger generations. “Older people have a service that we can give to younger adults — to make them aware of our Creator and the world He has given us. I’ll never be able to stop telling what mighty things He has done in my life,” Knight said.
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