This past week, I turned another year older. While always a bit tough to see the numbers rise, it is a privilege to get old and I am grateful. It’s customary for me to look back over the prior year to see what transpired so that I can make the appropriate course corrections for the year ahead.
Much has changed in the last twelve months. My freelance writing season came to a close yet speaking opportunities were placed in my path. The Elevate the Day® Podcast recently celebrated its 250th episode and our YouTube audience continues to grow. Even this blog has seen an uptick in subscribers. God is on the move!
As I look to transition into what appears to be a new season, I am pondering where God is leading me next. A “quiet retirement” is so not me but what will this time look like? My life to this point has been “go go go” whether it was balancing single parenthood and a full-time job or striking out into entrepreneurial ventures.
I only know one modus operandi – work, achieve, learn, grow, serve.
Years ago, I dreamt of “retirement” when my hair was on fire, yet now that it’s in front of me, I’m at a loss. It’s time to get refired into something new that will take advantage of the decades of experience, skills, and connections I’ve made. Stay tuned!
The Bible is full of people who did a 180-degree turnaround. David, a lowly shepherd boy turned king. Esther, a regular young girl, turned queen. Mary, a young teenager, turned mother of the Son of God. Peter and many of the apostles, fisherman, tradespeople, tax collectors, turned missionaries and evangelists.
They left their old lives behind and stepped into their new lives, fueled by their desire to fulfill God’s plan and follow His will. And because of their willingness and obedience, look at what they achieved!
Part of being able to step into something new is letting go of what was behind. Oh sure, we take the experiences and lessons with us, but we are not the same people we were ten, twenty, or forty years ago. Life has “lifed” us and we have either gotten better or bitter. Let’s hope we’ve gotten better!
Here is what I’m learning:
God is not stationery. He is a God of creation and movement. Every day something is new with Him. Don’t believe me? Just look out your window!
Even as you read the Bible and the daily activities of Jesus, you can easily see that no two days were the same. He was
always on the move – teaching, preaching, healing as many people who would welcome Him.
No one in the Bible “retired.” They were simply refired into something new by the grace of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Are you facing a changing season? What new things is God pointing you toward? What is He asking you to let go of?
Reflecting on these questions may be the very key that unlocks your “refirement” and sets you on a path of even more joy and fulfillment that you imagined.
P.S. If you would like to learn more about God’s calling on your life, click here to watch or listen to the Elevate The Day podcast “God’s Way Is The Best Way”