The Valley Years

by: Linda Kirby/WGON - 10.6.25

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the number of people passing away in their 70s. It seems that this decade—our 70s—is often the final stretch. Some make it into their 80s, of course, but many do not. It feels like the 70s are the “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23), and at 77, maybe I should be reciting that psalm more often.

A well-known attorney just passed at 79. He almost made it to 80. Scripture tells us, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10, KJV). So yes, 70 is the limit for most, and 80 comes by strength—through wise living, mental clarity, and God’s blessing. And sometimes, perhaps, living long can even feel like a curse. Only those who walk that road truly know.

Since 2020, death has become so frequent it’s almost ordinary. We can’t push it aside anymore. It’s here, and it’s loud. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe if we looked at death not as something to fear or ignore, but as something inevitable, we’d live differently. We’d treat our bodies better. We’d guard our minds more carefully. We’d cherish the people around us. And maybe—just maybe—we’d draw closer to Jesus.

We know that the way we live our lives will determine our final destination.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

If we look at our life through that lens, we might realize we only have a few hours or years left—how should we spend them? Shouldn’t we give that as much thought as we give to investing our money, which is not eternal? Many spend more time planning for financial gain than preparing for eternal reign. Yet “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).

By understanding that we are not promised tomorrow, we might begin to see today differently.

Some have walked through the valley and returned.

Those who faced death and survived often come back changed—more aware of the gift of life, more intentional about honoring their bodies and minds, and more devoted to drawing near to Jesus. Let’s not discard their hard-won wisdom just because we weren’t the ones who endured it. Let us receive it as a gift, a warning, and a call. Let it enrich our own lives and guide our steps closer to the One who walks with us through every shadow. Because in the valley, we need a Shepherd.

  Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”