Reluctant Retiree

When I went outside this morning for my morning walk the ground was wet, but it wasn’t raining at the time. Of greater concern was the flashes of lightning. I will walk in the rain, but not if lightning is nearby. I decided to walk anyway this morning as the lightning did not seem to be close. I was able to walk 6 miles without a drop of rain or nearby lightning.

One benefit that lightning does provide is that it brings a strong light, not only in the sky, but everywhere. Light has the ability to completely remove darkness. Light and darkness cannot coexist in the same place.

The Bible says that God is light and we are called to walk in His light. Walking in the dark is dangerous. You can trip on the smallest obstacle and fall. God doesn’t want us to fall in life, so He offers to light our way. All we have to do is follow His light. In Isaiah 45:7 God says, “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.” Walking in the Light is good for our overall well-being. Follow the Light!

Twenty years ago I had neck surgery. This was my first major surgery and I was a bit anxious, to say the least. I didn’t know what to expect and fear crept into my thinking. The only way that I was able to get through this process was to cling to the hope that my pain would go away. After the successful surgery, the pain was gone and then I was able to relax and give God thanksgiving.

A few days after the surgery I went back to the doctor for a follow-up appointment. As we were entering his office a young family approached. As I held the door open for them, I noticed the two to three year old girl in the stroller. She had a neck brace on just like mine. She also had the cutest smile on her face. The family seemed relaxed and at peace. I thought about all this family, and especially the little girl, had gone through. Yet they didn’t seem overly concerned or worried about their circumstances. Then I realized that my circumstances were minimally problematic compared to theirs. I had much to be grateful for and it was finally true to me that my God had dealt favorably with me.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 gives us advice for the times of trouble that we will inevitably face; “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” When we encounter difficulties, we tend to focus on the problem. By doing that, we forget about the Problem Solver. Instead, we should remember to pray and ask God to oversee and work through our trouble. Then we will be able to thank Him for His work on our behalf. And finally, we will be able to rejoice in His sovereign power at work for us.

I have written about this before, but I struggle with expressing myself verbally. I have difficulty using the right words to accurately describe what I am thinking. The problem is not related to my advanced age, as I have had this problem all my life. I tend to offend and confuse others, rather than clarify my thoughts and encourage them.

The words we speak are a reflection of our hearts. Too often we speak to build ourselves up, rather than to benefit others. Our need to impress overwhelms good sense and propriety.

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Rather than trying to impress or build ourselves up, we should ask God to give us a pure heart that seeks to honor Him in our thoughts and words. He will honor this request and help us change the focus and nature of our speech. Others will then be encouraged and God will be glorified.

I come from a modest background. My family lived in a lower middle class house in the typical suburban sprawl of the 1950s in Southern California. Neither of my parents held high paying or high level corporate jobs. We weren’t poor, by any means, but we didn’t have the luxuries that many around us had.

I am not complaining, but rather explaining my thought life after childhood. You see, I never aspired to greatness or even lofty positions. I heard the American promise that if you just work hard you can do anything. But I was satisfied in doing my best and letting that stand on its own. So I did get promotions on the job, and a few honors came my way over time. But I didn’t achieve anything that would make the general public stand in awe.

Regardless, I have lived a very satisfying life and have some wonderful experiences. But what about people who are in search of greatness and honors, and yet, are unable to achieve what they search for? I Samuel 2:8 has encouraging and comforting words for them: “He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.”

No matter what low state we may be in, or think we are in, God in His grace lifts us up and gives us honor. This honor is far greater than any you can receive from this world. And it is an everlasting honor. All of us who are poor and needy can come to Him in faith and receive the joy, peace and love of Almighty God.

This morning I planned to walk to downtown. I got about a mile from home and couldn’t remember if I had closed the garage door. Since my wife was sleeping at the time, I thought it was important that I go check the garage. The round-trip was two miles, but checking eased my mind. Now with walking all the way to downtown out of the question, I changed my route and kept closer to home.

It’s funny how often I have to change my plans. This change was rather inconsequential, but other changes are not. With the pandemic, we have all had to change plans frequently. We planned three trips to visit relatives in California, but canceled all three due to travel restrictions. Even those changes are small compared to what others have suffered. Some suffered severe illness and death that dramatically altered their immediate plans, and life, in general.

Let’s face it, we have no control over many of the factors that can impact our lives. James warns us; “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’ – yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your ignorance. All such boasting is evil.”

Since we cannot control all the circumstances that may affect our plans, we must be careful not to boast in our plans. Instead, we should submit our plans to God’s will and be ready to change our plans. Anything else is foolish boasting. The pandemic should teach us that unexpected things can and will happen. Yet, nothing is unexpected to God who controls all circumstances and events.