(Week 26) The Best is STILL Yet to Come: Retirement

The story behind the painting:

A couple of weeks ago, my oldest son asked if I would paint something. “Mom, I need you to paint a retirement gift for a friend.  I’m expanding your business.  You need to get to work.”  No pressure, right! But seriously, it made my heart sing that my 20 year old son liked my paintings enough to entrust this gift to me.

He brought home a photo from 1997 of a couple wearing leis with a Hawaiian backdrop.  I paint people primarily from behind or profile, therefore I had some improvising to do.  What I gleaned from the photo was the light in their eyes, a joy because they were together, an appreciation for the beautiful scenery and since it was a company trip, an above and beyond work ethic was being celebrated.

A major part of my painting process is prayer for those I am painting or painting for.  As I began to lift up these people and this retirement project, God painted a scene in my mind. I am learning that if HE paints it in my mind, HE is faithful to paint it through my hand!

“The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!” 1 Thess. 5:24 MSG

You will notice in the painting the people are small; they are looking at the vastness of God’s ocean and sky.  The world is their oyster.

the world is your oyster:
you have the ability and the freedom to do exactly what you want                              (Idioms by the Free Dictionary)

They are looking forward, saying, “What next Lord?”

They are  not looking backward, for God’s Word says:

 Never ask “Why does the past seem so much better than now?” because this question does not come from wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 7:10)

The large cloud represents the presence of God.  Notice HIS presence is the central theme and future focus.

…Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.” 1 Kings 8:12

The Best is STILL Yet to Come: RETIREMENT

Take-away Treasure:

Retirement can be defined as the act of ending your professional career, usually due to old age.  Our society tends to associate retirement with golf courses, beach sitting, leisure travel and spas. Unless I am missing something, I have not seen this model of retirement in Scripture.  In fact, I see old people left and right walking into just another “what next” on their Jesus joy ride.

Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Aaron, and Caleb, just to name a few:

Gen. 15:15 “Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Exodus 7:6-7 “So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.”

Joshua 14:10-11 “Now behold, the LORD has let me (Caleb) live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11″I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.”

I realize that I have not entered this life stage yet.  However, the truth that God will fully equip us to do everything HE calls us to do, not necessarily everything we choose to do, does not have an age limit on it.  If you are gladly entering your retirement years, please don’t read this as a charge to wear yourself out even more.  I pray you will breathe deeply and listen to Christ as he says,

” …Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30The Message (MSG)

That passage of scripture always gives me Holy Goosies.  I believe it is how we are to “retire” but I also believe it is how we are to live everyday leading up to our “career close.”

Watching, walking and working with Jesus is a life long blessing, not obligation. HE placed a “Kingdom bucket list ” within each of our hearts.  “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God…” (Heb. 12:2 MSG)

Jesus knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that THE BEST WAS YET TO COME.

Do you believe Kingdom purpose ends when you walk out of that office

or

will you joyful embrace the next leg of your race KNOWING that THE BEST IS STILL YET TO COME?