Is retirement all youre living for? When I was in high school, all I ever wanted to do was perform music. Joining the Army band was a great opportunity for me. I got a great music education and got to do something I enjoyed. But by about my seventh year, I knew it was a time for a change and started planning my exit strategy. We were in Japan at the time. I knew it would not be wise to get out there, so I reenlisted for another three years and we moved to Colorado. By the time my service was up, I had ten years in the military. You could retire at half pay with twenty years. Most of my colleagues told me if I got out, I was wasting ten years of my life. It wasn’t a waste! I learned a ton, had some great experiences including living overseas, and got paid and was able to support my family during that time. I know of many people who spent twenty years in the military doing something they hate, then got another safe job – usually with the government – doing something they hate – just for the safe retirement. Many of them, when retiring at age 60 with a comfortable amount of money, live boring unfulfilled lives even in retirement. They have conditioned themselves to take the easy way out. Muscles are developed with resistance. Our lives are developed during the difficult times, the struggles, the situations that demand all our attention. When I was a full time performer, there was one week where my mom took our kids and my lovely wife Susan was able to join me for a week of concerts. We stayed with one couple in Utah who were retired. They had played it safe with their jobs and in their lives and were well off. They were in their early 60s and in good health. The meal and conversation with them went something like this… Us: So what do you do to enjoy your retirement? Them: Oh, we have a leisurely morning, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, putter around the house, then eat lunch, take a nap, sometimes go out to dinner and then go to bed. BORING! Does not sound exciting to me. Lunch seemed to drag by. It was like watching slugs race. A week later I had a concert in an inner city church in Aurora, Colorado. The pastor and his wife were in their 80s. This church could not seem to get anyone to serve, so they stepped up and delivered. The lunch conversation that day was exciting! At one point we looked at our watch and really had to go, but we didn’t want to. Are you retired? How are you using the gifts God has given you? Are you investing them in people? Here are two examples of people I know who are still making things happen. One man in my church named Victor Nussbaum was retired, but he became our church’s building and grounds director/supervisor. He oversaw and did the work on many remodeling and repair jobs that were sorely needed. Since we did not have any labor costs, these jobs were well within our budget. If we had to pay someone to do what he did, it would have cost our church 80 to 100k a year. Another man named Jim Auburg has often filled in as administrator, something God has gifted him in. During one much needed season at our church, he was there full time helping get our church’s finances and admin in order. Did I mention Jim is in his 80s? Jim is one of my mentors and someone I look up to. It’s not wrong to spend some of your retirement doing fun things like traveling, visiting grandkids, etc. But did God call us to just live a life of leisure. Billy Graham’s latest book – and in my opinion his best (Finishing Well) was written in his 90s. There is a season for everything . How are you spending the season you are in?
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:34:55 +0000
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