Some thoughts on retirement

Okay, Let's get to work.

Yesterday was a great day. It meant a lot to myself and my entire family to hear and read the stories, both funny and tender, about how my parents have touched people's lives. I, too, could recount a large number of those as well. This morning, I'm adjusting, as I'm sure all of you are too. You know what, that's all right. Life is full of adjustments, some easy, some difficult. It's appropriate to take a little time to reflect and regroup.

Having said that, there is also much to be done and many challenges and uncertainties that loom large. However, my mother did leave us a bit of a "to-do" list. I know from experience that if she comes home and the list isn't completed, it is not a pretty picture. So, let's get to work. Then whenever they "pop in," we'll have some progress to report.

First, let's get to work praying. Pray for direction; pray for each other; pray for creative solutions to complicated problems. Pray for unity in purpose and diversity of ideas. Next, let's get to work trusting. Trust God above all others. It's His church; it's never been Bob & Dianne's. He loves it and cares about its future even more than we do. Trust leadership. Ask questions and offer ideas, but don't forget they love God and this place too. They dedicate countless hours - volunteer and paid alike. Their desire is to see us thrive and Jesus glorified. Trust when God's timing seems incompatible with ours. News flash -- our timing is frequently incompatible with God's. Yet amazingly, He consistently pulls us through.

All right, so pray, trust, now do. It's hard to imagine church services, KidZone worship, VBS, KZFriends, Bible Study, hospital visits, etc. without Bob and Dianne's presence. I know - I feel that. It's obvious to me that they loved doing those things, so let's copy them. In this case, copying is a good thing. Pick something out that you like doing and jump in - even when you think it's beyond your capabilities. In so doing, you'll find Jesus moved in and replenished your energy. You may also start to collect some of your own "say a good word for Jesus" stories.

Another "do" - let's generate and discuss. I'm going to make an assumption here and say that all of us have the same desire - the same goal. That is to see the church grow and serve more and more people, to fulfill Christ's Great Commission. Since we have the same goal, let's pour out our gifts, our resources, and most of all, our ideas. And let's do it constructively. Churched people are notorious for being stubborn and inflexible when it comes to their own ideas and agendas. I'm tossing myself right in here - I've been a "church person" my whole life. Let's be better than we've been. Let's listen, let's clarify, let's ask, let's answer, let's all contribute positively to our "pool of shared meaning." (Feel free to ask me about that pool - it's from one of my favorite books ever.)

In conclusion, I want to share one of the most significant lessons I've learned lately because I feel it is applicable to our situation. I am learning to keep the special, influential people in my life in proper perspective - that is, in the right order. Jesus Christ has to be numero uno. I confess; I haven't always kept him in that premium position. I've placed my husband in my number one "go-to" spot. He's great and I'm blessed to have him, but he's not always available. He can't meet my every need, no matter how hard he tries. I've placed my children in that spot, trying to meet their every need and placing them above all other priorities - trying to pull off Super-Mom on my own. That simply exhausted me :0). And, I've placed my parents in that #1 spot too. It was easy to do. They're pretty wonderful, wise and dependable. But, occasionally, their telephone ringer has been off (check the phone, Mom) and I haven't been able to reach them in the middle of my deepest need. Now, all these people are special and I love them dearly. But, guess what, if I've got Jesus in his rightful #1 spot, I am never alone. His ringer is never off; His voice mail message never comes on. He meets all of my needs. He refreshes me. He is always available, always dependable, and He will never retire. I can't tell you the amount of peace that brings me. Seriously. Try it, you'll see what I mean.

Last thing and I'm done ruminating. Before one of us girls would walk out the door for an activity, a trip, etc. our father would admonish, "Remember who you are, _______. You're a child of the King, and you're a Brouwer, so you never quit." As young children and teenagers, this was often met with an "I know this already" kind of eye-roll. Now, it rings in my head as a constant encouragement. Let me tweak it a bit so it fits our purpose. "Remember who we are; we're children of the King and we're FBCSers, so we never quit." Okay? Now, let's get to work!