Reluctant Retiree

Everyone wants to build something that endures. We work on building our own reputation, stature, and legacy. Sometimes we try to build fame and fortune.

Unfortunately circumstances get in the way of opportunities to build. Pandemics happen that close off those opportunities. Racial and economic injustices threaten or close off more opportunities. There has to be some way of fighting through these obstacles.

Is government action or civil unrest the answer? Sometimes these movements can offer temporary progress. But the hearts of people need to be changed for long term or permanent change. No amount of self effort or outside influence will bring long term solutions.

Fortunately there is an answer. We have to turn to the one person who has the authority and power to change hearts, that is God. Hebrews 3:4 says, “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”

I consider myself a student of how people speak to each other. Unfortunately that hasn’t made me a good or effective communicator. I just study how people talk to each other.

For instance, yesterday I was talking with a friend of mine. He is a good and intelligent man. We are at the same stage of life. However, while we were talking, everything I began to speak about, he turned into a longer discourse about himself. I felt ignored.

At various times I have been convinced that many people talk just to speak. They have little concern that others are listening, understanding or caring about what they say. They just want to talk.

My weakness is using sarcasm and teasing in my speech patterns. I usually am not sensitive to how others are impacted by my words. I have hurt people often and am filled with regret for that.

Is there a better way to communicate with each other? Can we share meaningful conversations with each other that are mutually beneficial?

Paul suggests that we can and should. In Ephesians 4:29 he writes, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Let’s give this command a try in our lives.

In the last two days I have had three visits to three different doctors. It is interesting how closely you are examined before you can even enter the building these days. They take your temperature and you have to answer a battery of questions. If nothing else, it made we feel a little safer entering the doctors’ offices.

Wouldn’t we all be better off if someone took the same level of interest in other areas of our lives? Why isn’t someone asking me these types of questions?

• How is your mental state these days? Are you feeling anxious or worried?
• How is your family handling the health crisis? Are you encouraging one another or irritated by one another?
• How are you doing financially right now? Are you working? Is money stretched to the point you are stressed?
• How are your personal relationships going? Do you have meaningful visits with others?

I think that we don’t ask these types of questions because we are afraid of possible consequences. We don’t want to be caught up in someone else quagmire. We don’t want to commit time and resources to help.

I know of only one person who has been able to jump fully into helping others regardless of the consequences. That person is Jesus. He humbled himself completely and selflessly to bring salvation to every hurting soul. He knows our thoughts and our needs and was willing to put himself in harm’s way to give us what we really wanted and needed.

If you are hurting right now, you are not alone. Jesus knows your pain and is offering love to you. Try asking him for help. You will find that he understands and wants to help.

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:4-8 ESV

Change is inevitable. However sometimes it comes slowly over time and other times change happens suddenly.

I go out to walk most mornings about 5:30. Yesterday it was 44 degrees when I left home. This morning it was 67 degrees. I’m pretty sure ny body doesn’t know what happened to it.

That change was easy to adjust to. Other changes are harder to understand and accept. For instance, I am 70 and my mind and body are not in sync as to what I can and cannot do. My mind says I can do it but my body balks.

We are all going through a lot of changes these days. We have gone from strict stay at home orders to a loosening of restrictions. How we adjust to these changes depends, in large part, on our attitudes. If we grumble and complain the adjustments will take longer and be harder. If we have a positive attitude, then the adjustments will likely be shorter and easier.

I think the apostle Paul said it best when he wrote, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

I don’t know if your area is the same as mine, but an awful lot of people don’t social distance or wear masks in public here. Maybe they feel that they are invincible.

For me, the choice to wear a mask and maintain proper social distancing is a matter of simple kindness. I would feel terrible if someone caught this awful disease from me. After all, I could spread the disease when I am asymptomatic.

I see spectacular acts of kindness all the time, especially now days. But it is in the small things that we can be unkind to others. Why not endure the small inconvenience of wearing a mask to show kindness to others. Pass on kindness while not passing on a disease.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 ESV

On what basis do you select who you will vote for. Is it strictly based on what party they belong to or how they vote? Do you vote based upon their ethnicity, gender, wealth or lack thereof, or even their looks?

I vote and choose leaders based upon my perception of their character. I want my leaders to display integrity. Our political leaders are rarely beacons of integrity these days, so my choices are admittedly limited. Further complicating the search for integrity is the politicians’ focus on destroying each other.

I want my leaders to act and vote in integrity not just along party ideology. Do the right thing, not the party thing!

In the next election can we find people of integrity to run our country? I suggest that we diligently search for this type of people, even if they are not currently running for office.

I have discovered that one of the great benefits of retirement is the chance to slow down. We rush through our lives without taking the time to evaluate all the activity or our involvement in them.

Furthermore we don’t take the time to evaluate ourselves, asking questions like;

Am I the person I want to be? If not, what’s keeping me from being that person?

What is my purpose? Do all these activities lead me to fulfilling that purpose?

What do I want to accomplish in my life? How far along am I in accomplishing these goals? Are these even worthy goals to seek?

What do I want for my family? Am I helping them get there?

If we don’t take time away from our busyness to think about these things, how are we ever going to get any answers or direction.

Retirement has given me the space and time to think about these things and more. However, now many opportunities have been missed to get the answers I needed and do something about it. I trust that you will not make the same mistake. I hope you will slow down and evaluate your deeper life.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

The winds are strong again today, as much as 35 MPH. Those winds push you over at times.

Public opinion is sometimes the same as the winds. It can change quickly and push you into believing many things, most not true.

The Holy Spirit is sometimes characterized as a mighty wind. After Jesus ascended into heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to His disciples. He was described as a mighty wind and fire.

The Holy Spirit teaches Jesus’ disciples the truth and leads us in the ways of God. This wind is worthy to be followed and trusted. The winds of public opinion will generally lead into trouble and disappointment.

“And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:2-4 ESV

We are in the midst of a modified stay at home order. The governor has allowed some businesses to reopen. Under his current plan almost everything will be open by the end of May.

He did leave one significant caveat, however. People over 65 should still stay home. I would complain about age discrimination except I know that he is just trying to protect us. But this also means that we aren’t supposed to go to church even when all our friends return. I miss them already.

So what have I been doing. I believe that God has given us this time to focus on “first things”, the most important things. So I have tried to get to know Him better, seeking His presence. I have spent a lot of time reading His Word and other books that lead me to Him. My prayer and devotional life has improved with the extra time and opportunity.

None of these things would take place, however, if God wasn’t drawing me closer to Him by His Spirit. If left to my own devices I would probably waste time with games or something else.

However, my God loves me with an amazing love. My heart is drawn to that love and I want to know Him better. The only way to do that is to spend time with Him. So I pray, listen and read.

I want to be careful here to say that I don’t just want to know more about God. I want to know Him better. That requires my heart to seek Him by interaction with Him.

So I don’t count this time as lost, by any means. In fact I believe this time has been used for a higher purpose.

“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek’.” Psalm 27:8 ESV

Every day several acts of kindness are highlighted on our local and national news. People seem to be doing all manners of nice things for family members, neighbors, friends and even strangers in need. I am sure that you also have done some very nice things for others.

This begs the question, why? Why are people motivated to do these kind things for others? And perhaps why now more than ever?

Obviously the need is greater now than other times. This is expressed by the first responders’ brave and selfless service, disregarding the danger to themselves and maybe their families.

However, the question of why goes deeper. What motivates us to be kind and do things for others?

Perhaps we were just raised this way. Perhaps we too have suffered and we want to help other suffering ones. Some of us just can’t resist the downcast faces of those in need.

All of these are great reasons to help. However, I would suggest that there is always a bit of selfishness involved also. It may be hidden deep within us, but all of us go into these acts of kindness asking what will I get out of this. In our best moments our selfishness is hidden, even to ourselves, but is there nonetheless.

That is why we are not always kind to others. It is why we often burn out when we try to be consistently kind over time. We simply cannot muster selflessness over time.

To consistently show love and kindness we have to constantly be filled up with kindness and love from others. That truth, in and of itself, demonstrates our selfishness. We need to be shown love to be able to give love.

There is only one way to constantly receive love, in order to be able to give love to others. We have to tap into an abundant, never ending supply of love. The only such source of love is God. His love is overflowing, steadfast and eternal.

To tap into this love we have to give ourselves to Him, holding nothing back. We have to confess that we have gone our own way and turn from those ways to follow Him.

If we do that, He gives us His abundant love and enables us to be the kind, loving, selfless people we want to be. We will still have our failures, but we can return to Him and find His love is still available to us.

“See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are his children.”