Discovering Joy with Lexi, Brittany, & Lexi: Part 6

“Don’t let anyone despise your youth,” 1 Timothy 4:11

This is a breaking announcement accompanied by a drumroll, confetti, and fireworks! I have discovered the elusive Fountain of Youth! Yes, I repeat, I have discovered the Fountain of Youth! No, it wasn’t found on a pilgrimage to Florida. And it wasn’t found in a new anti-aging product that I am trying to influence you to buy, nor is it found in an exercise routine or healthy eating plan. Instead, it is found by cultivating joy in your life through embracing the wisdom of older generations juxtaposed with choosing to be inspired by younger generations.

I have spent the last four weeks sharing insights on discovering joy through my interviews with Cheryl, Michele, Barb, and Nancy. These women are aging gracefully because they activate joy in their lives despite suffering, disappointment, and loss. Today, I am going to explore how being inspired by a younger generation keeps me energized with joy.

I am highlighting three women, Lexi Holmgren, Brittany Epler, and Lexi Peterson, who are still in their early to mid-twenties. This list could have been so much longer because this age group is filled with thoughtful and innovative women reflecting the image of God through their creative pursuits. And they do this with joy that is seen both in person and in how they portray themselves in social media.

It was the last day of our whirlwind vacation in Wisconsin. We were gathering at Lexi and Caleb Holmgren’s apartment for our last night of fellowship and Midwest-style pizza. Tired, I walked into Lexi’s apartment, exhaling a sigh of contentment upon entering. With warm lighting and comfortable furniture, her apartment reflected an ambience that made me feel enveloped in a cozy hug. It was easy to see Lexi had curated her space for the purpose of hospitality, which I later learned had been modeled for her by her mother. As I continued a tour of her home, I spied a shelf where Lexi displayed her future aspirations in the form of serving dishes and linens related to food photography.

Lexi has been married to “the best husband ever”, Caleb, for four years, where they together lead worship and the youth for their church. For years, I have seen her beaming smile in pictures with her friends and family. But recently, she has become the smile behind the camera by starting a photography business. Lexi was given a camera when she was fifteen years old, and played around with it a little bit, but it was soon forgotten. Then Covid hit, and being an extrovert, Lexi dealt with quarantine boredom by learning how to use the manual mode on her camera. After many YouTube videos, and a lot of practice, she began photography as a side hustle.

Later, Lexi was offered the opportunity to take pictures of food for the wellness company she was working for as a graphic designer. The company also paid for her to study under a food photography mentor, where she continued to improve her skills. She loved the story arc of creating a theme using food, linens, and décor. She has decided to pursue this as a future career, taking some business and food photography courses online. Lexi dreams of shooting a cookbook in the future.

Lexi’s vocal tone lifted with joy as she shared her future aspirations. Joy, for Lexi, doesn’t align itself with the Google definition of “great pleasure or happiness”. As a Christian, she recognizes that happiness is temporary, based on circumstances. Instead, she believes that “Biblical joy is choosing to respond to circumstances with inner contentment because God will use these experiences to accomplish His perfect will” in her life. And it is evident when, during boredom and confinement, she chose to invest her time in a talent that she didn’t realize she had. As in the verse that most speaks about joy in her life, Lexi used the mourning of time not spent with friends to allow her fingers to dance across the buttons on a camera, because she believes “You have turned my mourning into dancing.”

Like Lexi Holmgren, Brittany Epler is married to her best friend, Kory, celebrating four years this coming November. Brittany proclaims with passion that she “loves serving Jesus”, spending time with her dog, Tucker, kayaking, and planning her next adventure. Brittany entered my life a few years ago when she was one of my daughter’s bridesmaids. I quickly adopted her into my family, loving her sense of humor and whimsy.  Brittany also has a design aesthetic that I find comfortable and cozy. She believes less is more, except when it comes to plants. A few years ago, Brittany started out with her undiscovered green thumb by taking care of cacti. Soon, she started adding small house plants, graduating to bigger plants, officially losing track of how many she has. She finds taking care of plants peaceful and calming.

At Maggie’s bridal shower, I delegated to her bridesmaids to accomplish my vision of a panini charcuterie. Brittany quickly took the lead, turning my vision into an art form by creating roses from salami and ham.  After that, she started using Pinterest to google all the different ways to cut cheese, and soon found herself creating theme boards for people. She loves people’s faces filled with joy when they look at her creations.

Brittany longed to express herself artistically and God, faithful as always, brought out her artistry with houseplants and charcuterie, along with dabbling in floral design and watercolor, at the perfect time. These artistic endeavors have provided some therapeutic outlets and escapes through some challenging circumstances. God’s gift of helping Brittany discover her talents aligns with her definition of joy. She believes that “joy is calmness and peace in your heart no matter what circumstances looks like.” It also is her strength from God, supported in scripture in Nehemiah 8:11. And most importantly, it is God using creative outlets to keep Brittany focused on joy when she needs it most.

Of the three younger women, I have known Lexi Peterson the longest and I am surprised at how her curiosity and creativity continue to evolve. Originally from Colorado, she currently lives in Pennsylvania and works as a dairy hand milking cows. She loves baking, playing volleyball, and taking care of plants. On Sundays, Lexi walks into church in a dress that is both feminine and distinct. She would not describe herself as a “fashionista”, but is intentional in expressing herself through her clothing, whether at church or browsing a bookstore. She is not trying to make a fashion statement but enjoys the art of putting together an outfit that represents her authentically.

This authenticity is not only expressed in her clothing, but in her worship. Lexi leads Silent Witness, a group where she choreographs ASL sign and artistic interpretation movements set to music for the purpose of worship. With a whole-body expression of worship, she connects to God without inhibition. She, along with her group, inspires those watching to worship as well. With the same intensity, Lexi creates beautiful desserts, tablescapes with flowers, and has recently discovered cooking Indian food. She continues to want to “broaden her horizons and explore different things.”

For Lexi, joy is a combination of being content, expressing gratefulness, and having peace. Joy is found in the promises of God in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” She is confident that God wants what is best for her, has her where she is now, and knows where she will be in the future. For her, this joy expresses itself in both the quiet knowing of being in nature and working with animals and in the overwhelming feeling of joy when listening to a piece of music that brings hope.

These three incredible young women have been influenced by their mothers, and other women who encourage the development of their talents. And they believe that the older generation is important in their lives. Lexi H believes her generation is “bold, passionate, driven, and independent”, but they still need the genuine relationships with older women without judgement. She has a monthly coffee date with an older woman who listens to her concerns and offers kind words of wisdom sprinkled with love. Brittany wants older women to believe in her generation and trust them. She cautions us not to put them into a box, remember they are individuals who might approach life differently. Lexi P wants connections with the older generation to be authentic. She doesn’t need a mentor to be the perfect wise counsel, she just needs them to be genuine for her to be open about her own struggles.

All three have well developed thoughts and clarity about what joy is and how it expresses itself in their lives. They all express joy through a design esthetic that is authentic, comfortable, and inviting. They purse their creative interests with abandon, believing that God is for them. They lead busy lives but still find time for individual moments of joy. And all three of them express joy in their own unique ways. For Lexi H, “late night snuggles with Caleb, hugs from her nephews, and seeing students thrive in her youth group” are just a few of her abundant joys. Watching puppies living in the moment and beautiful sunrises that embody both a moment of reflection and anticipation bring joy to Lexi P. Brittany summed up joy as a gift from God that she can open each morning. It may be reading the word of God or going kayaking, and she believes that “Jesus makes it so easy to choose joy.”

In these last five weeks, I have discovered joy in many different expressions. I have been inspired by all the women, young and old, who have contributed to my project. Joy is contagious, life-giving, and helps me age gracefully.