Retirement - by Kelvin Fizzell

During a staff meeting at Redeemer Church earlier this spring, I shared with my co-workers that I was now officially registered with the United States Federal Government as an old gray-headed curmudgeon (most of my co-workers had thought that was official a long time ago). Because both Sally and I reached retirement age this past May, we had visited the local Lansing office to sign-up for Social Security.

Retirement… a life stage we had been preparing for over many years…was now upon us. We experienced a wave of emotions that went from excitement and exhilaration to worry and concern. For all the planning we had done, the tendency to second guess ourselves began to creep in. Did we think everything through, did we save enough, would our good health continue, and did we allow for any contingency; could we handle the significant changes to come? Being the “worrier” in the family, this probably affected me the most.

As God often does, He recognized my weakness and He placed a source in front of me to guide me along. I read a daily blog from Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church in California. Recent articles dealt with how to focus on the things in life that are important and to put aside the things that aren’t…how to put the emphasis on trust in God and to put away your worry. He would encourage us to find the strength to do this by reading pertinent scripture from the Bible. The following verses stood out to me:

Matthew 6:25, 33 (NLT)
That is why I tell you not to worry about everything-whether you have enough food or drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food or your body more than clothes? Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you all you need.

It seems clear that God’s message was telling me… “Stop worrying about retirement!!! Embrace the changes that are to come… Enjoy them…They are a gift from me…it’s why I’m giving them to you.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Again, to me the message is clear… “Trust me!!! Live your life as my son Jesus taught you…put your trust in me… and I will provide you everything you need to deal with all the changes life will throw at you.”

I can’t declare that I am worry free. But, I can say that I tend to focus on, and to be more grateful for, the many blessings God pours into my life each day…which leaves a lot less time to worry.