It’s funny but as I have got older, my mind is somehow telling me – you are not old, you can still play football, you can still drive and park as awesome as you always have! I suspect some might be thinking that the gap between my reality and true reality is bigger than I think and getting bigger.

So how do we handle the changes that come with age? How do we age well? 

Professor John Wyatt is a retired paediatrician who has written multiple books on end-of-life and ethical issues. The title The Final Lap is biblical because in many places the Christian walk is described as a race, and he builds on this analogy

He divides the book into 3 parts. 1. Hitting the wall – Retirement, 2. The home straight – moving from independence to dependence and 3. The finish line – moving from life to death. 

You might not quite be at the point of retirement BUT John makes the point that just like a marathon runner, you need to prepare for every stage of life. He makes the point that with humans living longer and people aiming to retire earlier, there are increasing numbers of old people in the world – so what is Gods purpose in having so many old people? What good are old people? He explores this in depth and helps us realise our latter years are not about being self indulgent because we worked hard all our lives but more about using our time and experience in a meaningful way.

John also gives some practical tips eg ways you can be joyful in later life, by living the way God wants us to and being a blessing to others

This book is only small and so rather than being particularly deep, it is more of a good stimulus to help you evaluate your life and future. You could easily read it when you have a spare hour or so. 

I will leave you with a limited quote from each chapter that may help pique your interest.

Hitting the wall – “if we place our entire identity, our meaning, our purpose in our employment, then retirement will be a devastating blow.”

The home straight – “for Christian’s, it is not a design flaw that we become dependent on others. Human beings are designed to be dependent on others, to be limited and vulnerable.”

The finish line – “I know many Christian believers as they come to the end of their lives, are anxious and fearful about the process of dying. And in response to those fears, our Heavenly Father, in his grace and compassion, allows us to practice what it is like to die every single night of our lives. You know precisely what it is like to die in Christ – it feels like falling asleep. “

John finishes the book with 3 very short meaningful sentences that we can hang on to as we finish the race well. 

A simple but thought provoking book that is worth an hour or so to read for everyone preparing to enter or who are already in the latter stages of life. 

Gavin Lowcock

For those interested in this read, Church will be ordering a limited number of copies for members to take and read for free. A small donation is appreciated to help cover the cost of the books. For more information, please contact the St Michael’s Office.