Thursday, February 02, 2012

Retirement

Yesterday, I started a new adventure. I retired from active ministry. I cleared out my list of church projects and removed all the "next actions" needed to accomplish them. I had already turned in my church keys the day before.

There are a few unfinished tasks that I will complete in the next few minutes. Then I will be ready to take a serious look at my "personal" projects and review that full notebook the I have of "someday maybe" projects.  Though I am in good health, I realize that my life will not be long enough to do everything.

Right now, my most important tasks are to visit with my wife Ruth and to reflect upon those basic things that are important to us.  That reflection will allow me to release the baggage that I have accumulated over the years, and will free us for the next portions of the journey.

Isn't it amazing how much clutter we accumulate in our houses and in our emotional worlds?  I am not really in a hurry to "throw it all away." My questions are really these: "What does it mean to me and to Ruth? Is it important enough to us to keep? If not, who can we give it to? Or, is it really something to toss on the ash heap?

Yesterday I started a new adventure. God alone knows where it will lead!  I look forward to watching it unfold.