The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Holiday (04/05/12)
HOW TO RETIRE AND KEEP YOUR PEACE


One beautiful Spring day in march 1995, with the uninterrupted birth of new foliage, blooms, and vegetations, my spouse Bill and I began our permanent residence in the USA. God chose for us the quiet town of Rogersville , Missouri as our place of abode.
When we decided to lean on the Lord , as our true and divine benefactor, He gave us a chance to live next door to our son and family.

As newcomers at that time, we needed our son’s sound advice and help. We felt that his experience of sixteen years of life here in the United States may help to see us safely through the first difficult years of adjustment.

Going with the flow of events, God mercifully led us to the right church that was both safe and solid in times of need; before long, we were able to furnish a small house, buy a car, and get our social security cards and necessary papers in order. Therefore, our new settlement as real “transplants” began. Yet that was not all.

Soon on a summer morning, as we sat on the deck enjoying our mid- morning Turkish coffee, my husband’s voice cut through the peaceful quietude,
“By the way, did you realize this bare truth? Unlike our previous life in Africa, here we are leading a life of complete rest.”
Overwhelmed by this joyful fact, he almost shrieked as he stated that gem of a fact.

“Yes ” I replied, nodding my head in complete agreement as I took the last sip of my spiced coffee and reached out for more. “Indeed, we do deserve a quiet life with an unstrained, slow pace after the dreadful hardships and fatigue of moving over from East Africa. ”

It is no crime to reach this positive God-given status of retirement. It is no sin either to welcome it with open arms!
We both agreed as we talked, we could clearly hear a sweet melodious voice sing those beautiful words of that famous old hymn,
“Yesterday is gone, Sweet Jesus,
Tomorrow may never be mine,
Lord, help me today,
Show me the way,
One day at a time.”
Yes, in His grace, we intend to live one day at a time. Yet here, with many so many senior friends around us, it is greatly comforting and encouraging. We always knew that facing the music of unwanted retirement is one fact most people may not readily accept.
But no! Not so with us, we know that God has always been our true provider. He will forever remain our true source in times of need. His presence was always a high factor in guiding our family budget in our marriage of forty five years, especially while I was a home maker, solely depending upon my husband’s income.

However, we decided not to be inconvenienced by any new circumstances; we tried to look upon the harvest of blessings our God has given us in this new land. With a merry and grateful heart, my husband and I re-defined the word retired to mean “resting from years of being tired.” If we are financially secure, why not count it all joy.

As my poet friend, the late Dorothy Brown said in one of her poems, expressing the role of money in her senior years,

“I think it is only a turnabout
The way it ought to be
I worked hard for my money
Now my money works for me.”

I could not agree more! Dear friends who are in the same boat like us, let us feel the Lord’s blessed freedom that lies in retiring from rigid hours and strict schedules of
“the job ”which once ruled our destinies!
Let us shake ourselves free and forgive our fate in this untimely change in our lifestyle.
Let this be a start for a chain of a new collection of memories as we learn too live with flexible programs-and play it by ear promises, let us recall our God’s strengthening promise,
“Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God” I Saiah 41:10 (NKJV)
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 835 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
04/12/12
A very worthy and lovely article discussing what many of us will be facing one day as we retire.

I enjoyed it, and thought it was a well written account of the passage of time.

God bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
04/12/12
This is a nice testimonial. I liked how you reflected on the retirement. It is thought -provoking.

You may want to be careful with quoting songs and other's works as some may still be copyright protected.

I think you did a nice job of covering the topic in a fresh way.
Genia Gilbert
04/13/12
Being retired, I relate to this lovely acceptance and the way you count your blessings. Hope you will continue to write in your newfound "rest" time, serving and honoring the Lord in that way and others.
Leola Ogle
04/13/12
"Resting from years of being tired." I love that, especially since I retired a year ago - though I do miss my "job" which was for a ministry. But God always has ways for us to minister regardless of our station in life. Thanks for sharing! God bless!