Reluctant Retiree

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!

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.