day 510: Forced Retirement

We've all at some point or another said that if we knew when our last day on the earth would be that we would live our lives differently. Those who are in their end days of life do. They put their priorities and affairs in order and they spend their waning days on those things that are most important to them in life. That is usually relationships with loved ones. Few will run over to the office and be sure that they have gotten that last memo written, etc. There are still some professions that force people to retire at certain ages. Pilots, some professional firms, university Presidents, etc. all have a retirement age. These are professions where people know when their last days of work will be. I suspect that these people work a little differently too. They probably want to ensure their legacy and they begin to work towards what is important to them before they end their careers. In some ways it is too bad that we don't all have a forced retirement date. If we did, then maybe we wouldn't concern ourselves with the frivolous and unimportant things. It sometimes takes a deadline to get us to focus and find the important. God told the Levites, through Moses, how to plan their final years of work and life. In Numbers 8:24-25 we read; "This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of 25, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by performing guard duty at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service." The Levites knew they had 25 years to serve the Lord and their people in the capacity they were assigned. What if we all began to take the attitude that we have limited time left and because of that we need to ensure that we are focusing on the right things and the important areas of our work and life? Would that change the way you think about what you are going to do today, tomorrow, or into the future?

Reference: Numbers 8:24-25 (New Living Testament)

day 183: The Ultimate Retirement Party

You don't hear of that many retirement parties happening these days. Sure, they are still there but since the average age of retirement has pushed back and with the economy chill causing people to need to stay in their jobs longer, there aren't as many retirements happening as there once was. Nearly everyone I know who has officially retired from work has some bittersweet feelings about the event. On one hand they are excited to have the freedom and capacity to pick and choose how to spend their time. On the other hand, they know they will miss the camaraderie that comes from work and the fulfillment that comes from getting work done. They also worry about the loss of the self-esteem and redefinition of who they are...after they leave their job. After 30 plus years of defining yourself as someone who does a job for a company, it is hard to find the words for who you are after that all stops. Many people after retirement find themselves, like the pro-athletes do, coming out of retirement and taking one more job or some other type of work because what they had envisioned post their work-life, was not what they thought it was. This happens all the time. I personally think this is because the vision that a person had for what life would be like after working was not clear and they hadn't set their personal goals against that vision, so when they got there they weren't sure this was where they wanted to be. So they retreat back to what they know...work. As believers, I sometimes wonder if we aren't the same way with our vision of heaven and our ultimate retirement party. Today, my wife and I, and her family, will be burying her Father, Aldo Preti. A true worker on many levels; retired executive, Catholic Deacon of 36 years, Father, Grand-Father, minister to the sick and hurting, teacher, gardener, builder, tinkerer, etc. He was never short of work to be done; as he defined work. And he was a great example of a man who brought His purpose to all the work he did. My Father-in-Law has already had his retirement party with God. We are given God's promise that he has gone ahead of us to make all of those preparations for us; "...I am going to prepare a place for you. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." Knowing that God is preparing my ultimate retirement party and my ultimate retirement plans is one of the most exciting things I can imagine and we all should take a moment to reflect that at the end of this road we have something marvelous and miraculous to anticipate. We can look forward to the ultimate retirement party. In the meantime, let us all enjoy the work that God has given us to do here on this earth. Let us try and take each moment that we put of ourselves into our jobs and find joy in the achievements and the accomplishments, but more so in the examples and points of touching others along the way so that they may see that we work with one purpose; to bring glory to God in all that we do.

Reference: John 14:2-3 (New Living Testament)