April 26, 2026 — Episode #119
Wrapping up their series on middle adulthood, Jerry and Becky Drace explore the emotional and psychological side of a midlife crisis, including hormonal changes that affect mood and the temptation to evaluate one’s career and impact at 40, 45, or 50.
Jerry shares the story of an uncle who dreaded retirement and then died shortly after retiring, using it to illustrate his conviction that every believer can be a “kingdom person” no matter their vocation, comparing an astronaut’s mission to a mechanic’s or a surgeon’s. Becky recounts the story of a well-known Christian author and speaker who was paralyzed in a diving accident as a teenager, as an example of finding purpose despite physical limitation. The couple discusses empty nest syndrome as a major social change of this life stage, describing Becky’s own experience of redefining her sense of mission as their children left home, and they touch on changing friendships and the value of grief-support programs for those who lose a spouse. The episode closes with a review of common reasons people make midlife career changes, including poor work-life balance, burnout, toxic work environments, office politics, and industry shifts like AI replacing jobs, along with data showing wage growth often follows a career switch in one’s 40s and 50s. They preview a coming discussion on embracing change before moving into a new series on senior adulthood.
Topics discussed:
- Emotional and hormonal aspects of a midlife crisis
- Finding purpose in any vocation (“kingdom person”)
- A well-known example of finding purpose through hardship after paralysis
- Empty nest syndrome and its emotional impact
- Changing friendships and grief support after losing a spouse
- Reasons for midlife career changes (burnout, toxic environments, AI/industry shifts)
- Data on wage growth after a midlife career switch
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or directly via our podcast RSS feed. See the full episode archive for more.