Retirement

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Psalm 92:12-15 ESV

I’m finally there. Retired. Sort of… I plan to keep counseling part-time for the foreseeable future, but I don’t have a boss and a position with requirements on me any longer. I’ve carried that weight faithfully for 50 years. Now it’s time for something different.

As I have reflected on this next chapter, here’s the way I choose to look at it. I have for years made the statement, “God has gone to a lot of trouble to make me who I am.” I have been a Christ-follower for 60 years. And over the course of those 60 years, there is more of me that is like Jeremiah 17:8 (“like a tree planted by water”) than 17:6 (“like a shrub in the desert”). I look at the Gary tree and see, for the most part, a tree with roots deep into the soil of God’s Word. I see a foundation healthy and strong that draws nourishment from the water of life. I see a tree that is not fearful of heat or drought, but one whose fruit is usually beautiful and delicious.

I realize this may sound like I’m bragging. I am, but on God and not Gary. The beauty of the Gary tree exists only because a beautiful God took a wretched twig (I’ve been told that quist is a Swedish suffix that means twig) and went to work on it. My 70 years on this earth are the story of a faithful God who did whatever was necessary to mold me into the image of Christ. When I look at myself, I see a depth of wretchedness that still remains. It puzzles me, baffles me, embarrasses me, and frustrates me to no end. Yet it is blasphemy to not also see the work of the Holy Spirit that has produced an ever-increasing measure of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All praise to him!

So what does this have to do with retirement? Here’s what I’m getting at. Now is the time when my character is the most consistently holy as it has ever been. I need to put God’s work on display now more than ever. As Dan Allender puts it, “What is my calling? It is to make known something about God that is bound to my unique face, name, and story. It is to reveal God through my character.” (To Be Told)

I may play more golf than I have in the past (I certainly hope so!) but I want to shout the message to younger Christ-followers, “Don’t give up. See what the Spirit can do in and through you. Yield to him. Co-author with him the beautiful story that is the you you were made to be. Put God on display. Don’t hide in false humility and live in defeat because you still struggle with sin. Look and see what God is doing—that he is allowing you to be a part of. Your pursuit of holiness is not in vain. When you pursue it, you will become pure in heart and you will see God (Matt 5:8).” 

What a waste it would be for a gifted musician to invest her entire life mastering her instrument and her repertoire, only to spend her later years just playing for herself! Let your final chapter be your best chapter yet. The finish line is in sight. Stretch your stride and press on toward the prize. Don’t retire. Inspire.