This picture of my parents has always inspired me. At nearly
70 years old they were on a trip to Colorado to see first hand what Young Life
did with kids. One of the day trip options was this incredible raft trip. They
jumped at the opportunity. Wow! What a great picture of a couple who expanded
their lives as they grew older, who experienced more as they grew older and who
felt that each day was a gift from God. Their lives hadn’t always been so. Maybe
I’ll write about that another time.
Late in life they got involved in a number of mission trips,
ministry projects, embraced a steadily broadening group of people they came to
love and in general ‘grew their lives’ in ways that we’re counterintuitive to
retirement. Instead of doing less, they did more. Instead of shrinking their
circle of friends, they broadened it. Instead of narrowing their view of
politics, religion, social and cultural issues, they broadened their perspective.
They became more embraced by God’s spirit of love, of growth, of generosity and
of open-mindedness and embraced others in these same ways.
My dad died 10 years ago and my mom is now in Assisted
Living in Grand Haven. It is such a joy to watch her being loved now in these
same ways by all the people who she and my dad loved so generously all those
years. In fact there is one young man who spends nearly every Tuesday morning
with mom, reading to her since she has lost her sight to macular degeneration. Earlier
in her life, my mom had done the same for his grandmother for many years before
she died and he is now returning the favor by reading to her each week. As Proverbs
teaches us, life is circular. Throughout their lives, mom and dad sowed a life
of love and gracious hospitality, and now my mom is reaping all the same love
and generous care from so many family and friends.
I’ve been retired from my career now for 6 months and have
tried to focus on who God wants me to be and who I want to be for the rest of
my life. I’ve taken the advice of many friends who have retired before me and
have not made any long-term commitments yet. I’m trying to give myself and God
time enough to discern these most important questions before I start getting
busy again.
The example of my mom and dad’s expanding version of growing
old reaches deep into me and inspires me to do no less. I’m inspired by both of
them to broaden my own viewpoints, to be more accepting of those who disagree
with me or with whom I disagree, to be generously loving and to live generously
– not ‘holding too tightly’ to the resources God has given me, investing them
in the lives God brings to me.
Finally, I’m inspired to simply be more available to the
day, to being where I am, to accepting myself as being good enough just as I
am. I want to live towards others in the same way. God’s gracious and forgiving
love makes it possible to live this way. And here’s another even greater point;
once you start living this way, it’s both infectious and expansive to the point
that it becomes hard not to live this way.
So for now – it’s enough to not do too much, to take time
and to let God’s quiet voice and spirit embrace me. I hope that God will plant
deeply within me many of the same qualities that I saw in my mom and dad. From
that place, who knows what I might end up being and doing?
Let the adventure continue!
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