In this conversational interview, host Nicki Koziarz talks with Liz Curtis Higgs about the blessings and challenges of growing older while walking with Jesus. Liz shares how an empty nest brings unexpected freedom—clean houses, stocked fridges, and a sense of calm—yet also reminds her of the value of staying connected with younger women. She emphasizes a reciprocal mentorship model: younger women teach her about vitality and fresh perspectives, while she offers wisdom from decades of faith. Liz warns against age‑based judgment, urging both older and younger women to recognize that each generation brings unique gifts to the table. The discussion highlights a widespread craving among younger women for intergenerational relationships, and calls for older women to step up and engage, creating a give‑and‑take that enriches the Christian community across ages. Throughout, Liz affirms that her walk with Jesus becomes deeper and more joyful each year, countering her early fear that faith might fade after the initial excitement.
Chapters
I'm curious, you said I'm old, which, you know, in solar revolutions around the sun maybe, but there's a youth to your song. I'm glad. When you see us, you know, I'm only 27. I'm like 10. So when you see us, and by us I mean younger women, when you look at younger women, and let's say, you know, women who love Jesus. What do you think, if you had to say the one thing, as you look, you know, at a generation younger than you, that you look and you say, "Ugh, if they could just get this." Well, you know, I used to say that a lot, and then I realized that wasn't very helpful, and it was in fact judgmental.
So What I do, actually, I love to hang around younger women because they remind me what life is like when you're dealing with kids. Because my kids, my nest is empty. Life becomes really fun, can I just say, when your nest is empty. And I love the little birdies in my nest, but—
When they were gone, it was good too.
It was good too. Oh yeah, because like the house is quiet and clean.
Everything is where you left it.
There's food in the refrigerator. There's money in your wallet. It's Kind of awesome. Yeah, so, but I have to remember.
Yeah, I know.
It's gonna take a while. We have 8-year-olds. Your baby, your youngest baby is how old?
11.
See, I'm gonna drill in a little bit.
So, so I need to be reminded of what that kind of deal is like when you have other people in your house that you've got to help them grow up even as you're trying to grow up. So I love to be with younger women. They teach me, they remind me, I hope I can maybe impart some wisdom, like just the chance to say to you that this being with your mom is the only ball that matters.
I just—
that is the one. All the rest of these, we'll deal with them later. They'll all jump back in your arms, I promise. But so I look for chances to encourage or maybe say a word that might accidentally be wise, but But the truth is, I have things to teach you, but you have things to teach me. So my real passion these days is hanging out with younger women, encouraging women of my own age, but also 30 years younger than me. And mostly I want them to know that this walk with Jesus gets better and better and better. My fear when I met Jesus at 27 is that it would run out after a while. That it was just my latest new thing and then I'd move on to some other thing I was excited about. And what I have found is every year gets better with him. Every year is still joy-filled. I'm glad I have a young soul because that's how it feels on the inside, you know. I'm always shocked when I look in the mirror. It's like, "Oh my word!" You know, because I feel 35, but man, I don't look 35. And so, yeah, I think there's a lot to be said about every age. We all bring stuff to the table. The main thing is for us not to judge one another or put each other in boxes because of our age. For me to say, "Well, she's 30 and doesn't get it," or for you to say, "Well, she's 63 and doesn't get it," because we both, we all get something, and we all have something to bring to the table.
Wow. Well, I love hearing you say that because I don't know about you, do you all find that in your spheres of influence and community, that women are finding that connection with generational women that are in different generations? Because I find that they're wanting it badly.
Yeah, they crave it.
Like craving it. And I think, I don't think everybody always has your outlook on that. I think it's seen as a, not so much a burden, but as something to do. —like a task. A task.
Oh.
And because my nest is empty, I don't want any more tasks, you know, and not seeing it as a reciprocal thing that I can give and receive. It's like, "Oh, I gotta give, and I gotta sit here and answer all these questions." No, no.
And then also just making, at least on this end, feeling like, "Well, I don't have it yet, like, so I need to get it from you," because it's treated like, "Yeah, I don't have it yet." So even just you hearing that there's— you saying that there's something we all have to give to each other.
Absolutely. Which I don't think is a common approach. Well, I really believe that because you've got an understanding I don't have. Of course, part of it is my kids are 28 and 30, and I think they're brilliant, and I love to be around them. So I love to be around all their friends. Half of their friends have— this is horrible, it's just true— terrible relationships with their parents. So they like to borrow me because I'm a mom who loves them and takes them exactly as they are. And it grieves my heart for you to say that younger women would love to have the influence of older women, but the older women aren't stepping up to the plate. Girls! What's up with you? Come on, you're missing the party! Really, there is so much give and take. It's not all one way, ever.
Well, this has been a great give and take for a lot of different reasons. I appreciate your authenticity, your humor of course, but your authenticity and your transparency that you share when you have a mic in front of your face. But I feel that you are the same whether you are standing on platform in front of a podium or you are sitting on a corner having dinner or sitting on a corner holding a beside a worker food. Yeah, because the last time I was at She Speaks, I sat at one end of the dinner table, and you just sat there with such intentionality and focus, and you weren't just paying attention to what I was saying, you were paying attention to me, and I felt that, and I felt really seen and cared for in that brief conversation, and I've seen you do that with other people, so I'm so grateful. I remember that conversation. Yes, yes, I remember that.
And even the fact that we met one time at a conference, and it was a brief encounter, and then you said, I'm going to send you a book. And like you did, yeah, it was, you know, that was— I was like, she really sent it, like, yes. But I think it shows, even just when you started the conversation saying you love your readers, and that just— not just like you, you aren't just trying to accomplish something for you, but that you, you see the people that you're reaching or talking to, or the people that are around you. Yeah, everybody's alive. Yeah, you can do that.
There's nothing I know, but you do a very good job at it, and I think you give a very good example to other people to see how it can be done well. So I just want to thank you for doing that, and thank you for showing Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, girl, you know that. Thank you. Thank you very much for being here. So grateful.
