“Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.’”-Habakkuk 2:2
A broken hip set me on the road to retirement.
I had just completed a 3-mile run. After getting ready for work I was heading into the garage when I missed a step and fell onto the concrete floor. My right hip bore the full impact and three days later I had a complete replacement. During those unexpected days at home, I read and slept a lot, received excellent rehab and many acts of caring from friends and parishioners.
One day, I was talking with one of the wisest and most spiritual women I know; an 88-year old Presbyterian elder named Delores. We met as part of a search committee in 2012 and became dear friends. While chatting a few days before returning to work Delores offered many wise insights. “The accident was a way to see how much God cares for you,” she said. “Some of the best lessons in life come through pain” she added, before concluding “Pay attention to what you are seeing and experiencing now and as you return to work, for the path will become clear.”
As I returned to the church those words kept playing in my mind. Bit-by-bit I began to consider it was time to retire. Some of that conclusion arose from the way my injury demonstrated how quickly life can change. Yet there were other clues that suggested my days as a pastor were winding down and that the congregation needed new leadership. Prior to the injury, I had planned to serve two more years, but as I paid attention to what I was hearing and seeing, I began to ask why; what was there ahead suggesting I needed to stay with that timeline?
After pondering internally, I began to consider retiring a year earlier and then shared that idea with the wisest and most spiritual woman I know. My wife Lori listened in her ever-intentional way, asked a few questions, and let the matter rest. A few days later, she followed-up, curious about what I was thinking about retirement. Replying that I still felt the same Lori said “There are two things that strike me; how quickly you pivoted from your plan and how peaceful you feel about it.” I did then and still do, now five months into this chapter of life.
How about you? Is there a significant decision you are pondering as a new year begins? Perhaps you are wondering if you should stay in your current job or seek another one. Maybe the most pressing matter is uncertainty over whether to end a long-time relationship or take the next step to deepen one that has just begun to blossom. Perhaps the chief topic in your waking thoughts is whether it is time to move a loved one to skilled care or your child to a different school. The question could be about something else entirely yet in every life there are times when we aren’t sure what we are to do next. In such moments, we are invited to pay attention to the clues God is providing. There is no better time than today to do just that.
Guide of Life, I celebrate the clues you provide in this journey. Help me pay attention to what you are revealing now and then to respond in the way you intend. Amen.