One Thing #2

 November 27, 2023

I’ve been thinking about the One Thing I want from God. A number of possibilities have come to mind, but it’s possible they can be combined together: I want the opportunity to teach others what I’ve learned from 50+ years of ministry. Some of that teaching may include the marriage seminar Linda and I led in Cuba; some will undoubtedly be what God has taught me about gratitude and about Jesus being our default. I can do this in Cuba, but I need also to do it at home. 

Yesterday, I said, “I’ve been wondering about how to mentor young men.” I didn’t know how or where to begin. Today, I met with a younger man for coffee and conversation. In the course of our conversation, he said, “I’ve been looking for a mentor.” Could God say it any clearer?

This evening, I had a conversation with a woman about marital matters. Earlier, someone commented that I needed to put my writings in book form, something I’ve heard more than once. I hate editing, but how many nudges does God need to give me before he decides he has to get a little more emphatic? 

It never set well with me when people would say, “Don’t you know pastors never retire?” It felt as if I were being held to a different standard that often felt imposed and forced upon me. I’ve been retired for nearly ten years now, and one thing I’ve learned is that I have no desire to sit and watch tv all day. I’m grateful to not carry the responsibility I once carried, and to not have to come up with a sermon every week, but although I’m a few bales shy of a barnful, I do believe I’ve learned a few things that may be helpful to others. It all fits well into the rubric of “teacher,” so I’ll keep praying, trusting that God will clarify those parts that are still fuzzy to me. I suspect it will involve more work than I crave at the moment, but also that grace will accompany the calling in the future as it has in the past.