Practical, faith-friendly steps to clarify your calling while you still pay the bills and cook dinner.

Hi there my dear friend,

If you’ve ever been one Google search away from “I’m selling everything and moving to a cabin” – this one’s for you.

“Find your purpose” is everywhere. But as a midlife woman, you’re not:

• 19 and backpacking,

• free from responsibilities, or

• looking to blow up your entire life for the sake of a vibe.

You still have bills. People. Commitments.
And yet… your heart is whispering, “There has to be more than this.”

The good news?
You can discover your God-given purpose in midlife without burning your life to the ground. Let’s walk through how.

What Your God-Given Purpose Is – and What It Isn’t

First, let’s clear away some unhelpful myths.

Your Purpose Is Not:

• A job title. Roles can change. Seasons shift. Purpose runs deeper than your latest position or project.

• One giant moment. Some people have dramatic “burning bush” stories. Many don’t. Purpose often unfolds over time, not in a single flash.

• Only for “super-spiritual” people. If you belong to Jesus, you have a place in His story. Full stop.

Your Purpose Is:

• living as God’s beloved daughter,

• walking in the good works He prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10),

• aligning your story, gifts and opportunities with His heart for the world.

Your purpose isn’t about becoming impressive.
It’s about becoming available.

Four Lenses to Help You Notice Your Calling

You don’t have to invent your purpose. You can notice it – like a picture slowly coming into focus.

Here are four lenses to look through.

1. Your Story: What Has God Brought You Through?

Look back over your life with gentle curiosity:

• seasons of pain or struggle,

• big changes (moves, job shifts, relationship shifts),

• key moments when God felt especially near.

Very often, the places you’ve wrestled are the places you’re later called to serve from.

Think: “I know that valley. I can walk someone else through it now.”

Make a quick timeline in your journal and circle 3–5 turning points. Ask:
What did God grow in me there? Who might that help now?

2. Your Gifts and Strengths: What Comes Naturally to You?

Gifts don’t have to be loud to be powerful.

You might be:

• a quiet listener who makes people feel seen,

• a practical organiser,

• a creative who turns ideas into beauty,

• a teacher, encourager, strategist, storyteller, intercessor.

Ask a few trusted people, “When you think of me at my best, what do you see?”
You’ll hear clues about your calling in their answers.

3. Your Season: What Does Faithfulness Look Like Here?

Midlife purpose is not about escaping your real life. It’s about bringing God into it on purpose.

Be honest about your current season:

• Empty nest?

• Caring for ageing parents?

• Still raising teens?

• Working full-time, part-time, retired, or reinventing your career?

Your calling will fit this season.
God isn’t asking you to live someone else’s life. He’s inviting you to bring Him your actual one.

4. Your Burdens: What Breaks Your Heart (In a Holy Way)?

Pay attention to what moves you:

• women who feel invisible,

• kids in foster care,

• carers on the edge of burnout,

• women stuck in shame,

• your local church,

• women navigating menopause without support.

You don’t have to fix everything.
But you are likely called to something.

Ask: If I could quietly make a difference in one area, what would it be?

A Simple Process to Explore Your Purpose in Midlife

Let’s get super practical. Here’s a gentle framework you can start this week.

Step 1: Pray Honestly and Specifically

You don’t need fancy words. Try something like:

“Lord, I want to use what You’ve given me well.
Show me where You’re already at work in my life
and how I can join You in this season.”

Make this a regular prayer, not a one-off. Calling tends to unfold with consistent conversation, not a single emotional moment.

Step 2: Capture the Clues

Start a dedicated “Purpose & Calling” page or journal.

Write down:

• verses that keep coming up,

• conversations that stir you,

• ideas you can’t shake,

• feedback from people you trust.

Think of it as a treasure hunt with the Holy Spirit. Nothing is too small to note.

Step 3: Run Tiny Experiments

You don’t find your calling by sitting and thinking harder. You find it by doing small things and noticing what happens.

Examples:

• Offer to mentor a younger woman once a month.

• Lead or host a small Bible study for women in your life stage.

• Serve in a ministry that lines up with your burden (e.g. care, prayer, hospitality).

• Start a simple email encouragement or WhatsApp group for a few women.

Ask after each experiment:

• Did this give me life, even if it was hard?

• Did it seem to bless others?

• Could this be part of my ongoing calling?

Step 4: Invite Wise Counsel

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Share what you’re noticing with:

• a mature Christian friend,

• a pastor or ministry leader,

• a mentor or coach who loves Jesus and understands midlife.

Ask:

• “Where do you see God already using me?”

• “What feels like a good next step to you?”

Sometimes others can see our calling more clearly than we can from inside our own heads.

Step 5: Refine as You Go (No Drastic Leaps Required)

You don’t need to quit your job or sell your house to be obedient.

Most midlife callings begin as small shifts:

• saying “no” to things that drain you,

• saying “yes” to opportunities that align with your gifts and burden,

• rearranging your week to give a little more time to the work that truly matters.

Let your life slowly tilt towards the things you sense God highlighting. Tiny degrees now can turn into a completely different horizon over the next few years.

When Your Purpose Doesn’t Look “Big” Enough

Can we gently tackle comparison for a moment?

You might look at other women:

• leading huge ministries,

• writing books,

• starting charities or businesses,

and think, “My little life doesn’t count.”

But the Kingdom of God is built on faithful, mostly unseen obedience:

• the text you send to the friend on the edge,

• the grandchild you pray over,

• the lonely woman you invite for coffee,

• the simple blog, group, or study you start in your lounge room.

Heaven measures purpose very differently to Instagram.

Your God-given purpose might look like:

• being a steady spiritual anchor for your family,

• discipling a few women deeply over many years,

• bringing hope, wisdom and calm into your workplace,

• serving quietly but powerfully in your local church.

If it’s done in love, with God, it counts.

You’re Not Behind – You’re Right on Time

If you feel late, remember:

• Moses was 80 when God spoke from the burning bush.

• Sarah laughed in her 90s and still saw promise fulfilled.

• Midlife is not a write-off; it’s often where the real work begins.

You are not meant to bulldoze your life to find your purpose.
You are invited to walk with God, right here in your real midlife world, and let Him show you how your story, gifts, season and burdens weave together.

So take the pressure off, lovely.
Pour a cuppa. Open a fresh page. Ask God, “What have You already placed in my hands – and how can I use it well?”

Your God-given purpose is not waiting “out there” in some future, shinier version of your life. It’s growing under your feet, one small, faithful step at a time.

Until we chat again...

Blessings and hugs to you,

Dianne xx