Since I retired I have come across several friends and colleagues from various walks of life who have also retired or are close to retirement. Some have communicated things like: “I had this great career, (or in some cases, “not so great a career”).
Some of them tell me about how they use their time and money and list things like travel, perhaps taking a cruise, athletics like tennis or karate, golf, more hikes and backpacking, reading more novels, gardening, taking a course at the community college, mastering Excel, painting the house trim, being a gopher for my wife/husband, taking care of grandkids, reading the paper, getting a cup of coffee, making jam, painting with water colors again, watching TV, surfing the internet looking for something of interest, genealogy, just piddling around the house, or doing more for my church. In general, doing those things they never had enough time to do!
For others, however, these things are not enough, including doing more for their church. Sometimes their minds shift and they think to themselves, “I would like to do something of significance. You know, something worthwhile, contributing, doing some volunteer work that is rewarding to others and me. Give something back.”
Retired Christians are not immune to this quandary. I hear some of them say things like, “I will go anywhere and do anything the Lord wants me to do.” There are some who go on short term mission trips and return home ready to go to work for the Lord. And they are sincere and come home all fired up! However, when they start putting the pieces together to actually do something for the Lord, they run headlong into the established patterns and designated time slots mentioned above. For some, they never “go anywhere or do anything for the Lord.” Most, however, continue to do things for their local church,
There are other Christians, however, and I know a lot of them, who pray in earnest, who genuinely seek guidance from the Lord, who will rearrange their lives to serve him. They look at their lives and conclude, “I need to break away from my established patterns and designated time slots and rearrange my priorities.” They seek the Lord through prayer and pursue the meaning of Bible verses as applied to them. Serving the Lord beyond their local church becomes a high priority.
If you are a Christian there are many ways to serve the Lord, both at home and abroad. The internet is full of opportunities. One of many possibilities is to consider contacting since they are always in need of workers from many walks of life.
If you were a teacher before retirement, please consider becoming a teacher of children of missionaries during some of your retirements years. See here for one couple who did just that. Teaching children of missionaries is very much part of the Great Commission of Christ. If you doubt it? Go here.
My own work for the Lord in my retirement years is with Teachers In Service, Inc. Blogs related as to how I got here may be found here and here.
Join with me and have this incredible feeling of serving the Lord and of viewing your years before retirement as mere preparation for serving the Lord in your retirement years. This is something you can do! You can indeed become a teacher of children of missionaries.
Blessings for you as you rearrange your priorities and serve the Lord in your retirement years.
