Life’s Sometimes a Whirlwind

My website and social media friends have likely noticed that I have not posted a message for 12 days, far beyond my normal schedule of two blogs a week. Quite frankly, it’s been a whirlwind of a past month. I’ve had people tell me this would happen, but I’m not sure I ever truly believed it, but I have been far busier in retirement than I ever was while working.

It all started April 1, when I officially retired after 46 years as a business and compliance leader with most of the time spent in the Aerospace industry. It took several weeks to button-up and finalize all the retirement “stuff” and officially put that career to an end.

Of course, what goes along with retirement is the whole insurance thing, or mess, is a better term. Ending a lifetime of employer provided healthcare to enter the world of Medicare, supplements and drug coverage. It truly is a “mess” to understand and make the best decisions, so be forewarned if you have not yet retired – know the facts and be ready for a major challenge. Lucky for us, we enlisted a Medicare advisor that helped us tremendously as we made these changes.

Just a couple days after retirement, I honestly had a divine experience. While listening to a clip of Nicodemus speaking to Jesus, in the incredible production of "The Chosen," I became fixated on Jesus telling Nicodemus that you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. As I sat there and pondered this powerful cinematic scene, I honestly heard a voice telling me; “You need to do this!” I was baptized as a child but I could not ignore this message.

Ironically, or maybe not ironically, our church was holding baptisms on Easter Sunday so I called our minister and signed up to be one of the fortunate to be baptized. Another bit of irony, or not, but at the time it honestly never entered my mind. Ironically, it was just like my dear wife, who also was baptized on Easter, a few years ago.

WOW – Earthshattering, at least for me! I have always believed that God and/or the Holy Spirit have guided me through much of my life’s big decisions, and certainly gotten me out of some desperate situations, all of my own doing. But this is the first time I truly heard a voice tell me; “You need to do this!”

That was certainly the highlight of this past month and far more meaningful to me than my entire working career. While all these things were happening, I was also busy packing our home possessions for an upcoming move. You see we decided to sell our current house and build a new one – crazy for retired people, right?

However, when we downsized a few years ago, we over shot the mark and went too small. At the same time, we were presented with a perfect opportunity to build the home and floorplan of our dreams. And to put the cherry on top of this opportunity, we are able to build our home right next door to our son and his family – an opportunity we could not pass up!!!

Add to this opportunity comes the financing of homes, the showings, the planning, the moving, etc. Crazy times for retired people but a lot of work for a very good reason.

All through these events, I was also receiving treatments for a very serious condition which some of you know about. Every morning during this time, for the past 2+ months, I have had to prep and receive these treatments, which to my delight, ended yesterday. Hopefully the treatments worked and we will be blessed to move past this bump in the road!!!

So, please pardon me for being a bit tardy with my posts/blogs. Life for me these past few weeks has been a whirlwind, but so ever worth the experience.

This past month has had it’s share of troubles and challenges, but God has been by my side the entire way. I don’t fear making the change in homes, I don’t fear the condition of my health, and I don’t fear retirement and the rest of my new life. Because Jesus told His disciples, as written in John 16: 31-33:

31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”