Reluctant Retiree

Do you remember the days before GPS? We used to rely on bulky and awkward maps to get where we wanted to go. Sometimes we were given verbal or written directions from someone who said they knew how to get there. Then there was always the backseat driver who always claimed to know the way. Unfortunately all of these guides were often misleading.

When I am walking on nature trails, I count on the trail being clearly marked so I can stay on the path and not wander into danger. Only one time recently did we misread the trail markers and get lost. Hiking is easier with a guide and good markers.

Jesus promised to be our guide through life. If we allow Him, He will be our shepherd and lead us to green pastures. He wants to be our light in the darkness to show us which paths to take. If we are His children, He promised that we will hear His voice so that we can follow Him. But He does put a condition on these promises when He says in Matthew 16:24; “If anyone comes after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Just like any other guide, we must follow Jesus in order to receive the promises of guidance, light, green pastures, and hearing His voice. This requires that we subjugate our own choices to His leading and take the sometimes hard path that He leads us on. However, the rewards of following Him are wondrous, full of love, and eternal. Please choose to follow the all-knowing and everlasting love of Almighty God.

Every time I look into a mirror I find something else that I want to make better. These days I see the absence of hair, at least hair where I would like more of it to be. I find sags and wrinkles that I want to firm up. Dark spots appear unannounced and unpredictable. My eyes look tired and weak. Some of these deficiencies can be improved, but I think that sometimes it may not be worth the effort at my age.

When I examine my character I also see areas that I want to improve. I see times when I should have been more kind and loving. My self-examination reveals many instances where patience was called for, but I reacted strongly. At other times I was judgmental rather than gentle and meek. Unlike physical changes, changes to my character are always certainly worth the effort.

But how can I achieve these improvements? When I try to do this on my own terms, I have always failed. I need help to change my character. II Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Real character transformation comes only through God’s Holy Spirit working within us. He will not force these changes upon us. We must ask Him to transform our hearts, minds and spirits and give Him permission to change what should be changed. These changes are sure to be glorious.

As I get older, I look forward more to rest at the end of the day. It is funny how sleep is important for us at the beginning of life and near the end. Babies need their sleep as they are growing and learning at an incredible pace. Seniors need our sleep to replenish our energy and prepare us for the next day. Sleep is also important for those between infancy and senior status, but these people seem to largely ignore the needs or fight through the lack of sleep.

Normally I sleep well, although I need a CPAP machine to do so. Many things can keep us from a good night’s rest, but the biggest sleep enemy is anxiety. When we are anxious we can’t seem to turn off the thoughts that cause us to have anxiety. We just keep replaying them over and over in our minds. Of course, worrying and the lack of sleep do not help us relieve the source of stress, nor even feel better about our circumstances.

Paul gives us the antidote for an anxious heart in Philippians 4:5-7; “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The antidote to anxiety is prayer. If we turn the sources of our anxiety over to God, He promises to replace those stresses with His peace. We won’t fully understand how He does it, but in the process He will guard our hearts and minds from anxiety.

As I have said before, I go on long walks each morning. Walking very early, while it is still dark, has its challenges. I don’t see every crack and obstacle, so sometimes I trip and fall. Other times I see the danger and proceed anyway, causing pain to myself. Walking early also causes me to miss some of the beauty that surrounds me.

As we go through life we can choose to walk in darkness or in light. Light helps us see the path clearly and avoid trouble. Darkness takes the joy and beauty out of the journey. I John 1:5-7 explains how we walk in the light when it says, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Walking in the Light is simply a matter of walking with God. We can do that because the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin, so we can be in the light with Him.

We continue to walk in the light through love for God and for others. I Thessalonians 3:12-13 says, “and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints.” Increasing love for God and others will lead us to walking blamelessly in the light with the Lord.

Today I went to an event where hundreds of people were honored, along with their families. There were gifts, bounce houses, games, fishing, rides, lots of food, and a general environment of fun and relaxation. Did these people deserve to be honored? Most definitely! But could they have expected to be honored in this way and by the selfless love of hundreds of volunteers. Could they expect the generosity of hundreds of people giving time and money? Probably not!

The Bible calls this sort of thing grace. Grace is favor that cannot be earned and should not be expected. Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son, who took his inheritance, from a father who was still living, and squandered it in a foreign land. He was destitute and returned to his father. The father did not scold or shame the son, but rather welcomed him home and threw a big celebration in the son’s honor. The son could not have expected to be honored in this way.

God, and all of heaven, celebrates when we come to the Heavenly Father. Should we expect such honor? Heavens no! We have not done anything to deserve such love. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” God waits eagerly for us to come to Him. When we do, He will give us the biggest embrace and throw the grandest celebration. What are you waiting for? Let’s celebrate!