Reflecting on My Retirement Decision

Most of you who follow or read my blog know me personally, so you know that I just recently announced my retirement. I’m hoping that decision gives me more time to write and the ability to be a little more real. There are topics that I think about putting in writing, but hold off because of how it might be wrongly translated at work.

I wanted to start by writing a little bit about how I came to the decision to go ahead and retire. It started with a comment from a couple of people about what retirement might look like for me. Then I read the book, From Strength to Strength, by Arthur Brooks. Next my son made a statement that really caused me to reflect on some whys in my life. I can’t list everything that happened in the last few months, but everywhere I turned, something was pointing me into the direction of retirement.

Changing topics for just a bit. I changed up my daily prayer routine about 8 months ago. Over the years, I’ve kept prayer journals, prayer lists, prayer cards. Whatever feels right at the time. A while back I decided that in addition to my daily prayer list pertaining to whatever is on my mind, I would make a monthly prayer list. This list would never have more than 5 needs on it, and I would deeply pray purposely for those 5 needs each and every day for a month. I also attach a scripture to each need and pray that scripture over the need as well for the entire month. There is no biblical reason for this method. It is just a combination of things I have read and something that was on my heart to do.

Back to my decision about retirement, for the month of December, I have been praying Isaiah 43:16, “Thus says the Lord who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters.” I have been praying this pertaining to the continuous promptings towards retirement. I have prayed that the Lord would show me what he desired as clearly as he made a way through the sea. I asked for direction that was so clear I could follow it and a path so wide that I would know where to step and where to go next.

The purpose of Isaiah 43:16 is to encourage the Israelites, remind them how powerful God is, and assure them he can deliver them as they were under the rule of Babylon at the time it was written. For me this verse assured me that God provides for our needs. My current need was reassurance that I was following what he desires for my life. I have always felt that teaching was my calling. I want to make sure my retirement keeps me on the path that God has for me. A path where I honor him and serve him. A path where I can be used for his purpose.

I don’t’ know what you are going through, what decisions you are trying to make or what waters you are navigating, but if you ask, God will show you the path or he will provide the deliverance you need. Commit to following his will, and his desires will be made known to you.