The Four Stages of Halftime

The Bible provides us with a Halftime model in the life of Moses. Moses was a leader and an achiever. Moses experienced a crisis of identity through which God drew him, and when he came out on the other side, he was a changed man - a man prepared for the exact purpose that God had made him. The Halftime experience of Moses, and all of us, is divided into four stages:

	Moses grew up in Pharoah's court and learned what it meant to prosper and have power. Yet Moses reached a point in his life where he questioned his purpose and began to search for something more. This stage represents the end of the first half of your life, which was a necessary and foundational time of building skills, wisdom and confidence - a time of "getting ahead." Yet, something nagging inside says that your successes have not delivered everything you want. You begin to ask, "What would give my life meaning?"
	Moses fled from Egypt into the desert of Midian to take refuge and live for a time in solitude and introspection. Did God create you in a specific way, for a specific purpose on this earth? You pause to ask questions like, "What am I really passionate about? What are my greatest strengths and core values? What is my calling? What is my spouse thinking about his/her second half and what is our vision together?"
	Moses had an encounter with God (The Burning Bush) and responded to God's challenge to live a life of significance. With this renewed vision of who you are and what you were placed here to do, you begin exploring serving opportunities, asking yourself questions such as, "How do I prepare my family and myself for this transition? What arena should I serve: my church, my community, or some very needy area of the world?"
	Once Moses found his life's energies in obedience to God's calling, he became an unstoppable force, as the parting of the Red Sea demonstrates. The last leg of your Halftime journey is the process of engaging fully in what you are called to do and be in your second half. It involves seeking the right balance of serving, mixed in with your career, family and recreational pursuits. You assess whether you have found the "right fit" and ask, "How will I measure my contribution? Am I growing closer to God and those I love as I pursue a second half of eternal significance?