What you’ve been reading and/or hearing about us lately may have you wondering
if we’ve lost our marbles, especially if you could see the condition of this
first house we’re buying. Just be aware that this is not the latest in a series
of whims that has overcome us like some kind of flavor of the month.
We’ve both read many books and heard plenty of commentary from Christian and secular
perspectives that have helped shape our thoughts about what living abundantly as empty nesters looks like. I realize of course, this topic is a very subjective one. Everyone has or will have their own interpretation of how to direct their living and what to invest their time and abilities into, but quite frankly, we both have had lots of inner speaking from God that goes back a number of years. Plain and simply, our hearts and minds have been energized and persuaded to pursue a lifestyle that calls for our best and affords those opportunities for an occasional adventure, while at the same time defying what the calendar predicts.
We’ve both read many books and heard plenty of commentary from Christian and secular
perspectives that have helped shape our thoughts about what living abundantly as empty nesters looks like. I realize of course, this topic is a very subjective one. Everyone has or will have their own interpretation of how to direct their living and what to invest their time and abilities into, but quite frankly, we both have had lots of inner speaking from God that goes back a number of years. Plain and simply, our hearts and minds have been energized and persuaded to pursue a lifestyle that calls for our best and affords those opportunities for an occasional adventure, while at the same time defying what the calendar predicts.
About 10 years ago, at the age of 53, I did what nearly every person does in their 50’s. I spent lots time pondering the future while factoring in my own health in the light of my father and mother’s medical histories. I was startled, especially when my doctor told me that you can make a lot of adjustments to improve your health on a day to day basis, but you can’t change your DNA. For me, it was like knowing that a timer would go off eventually. My dad’s timer went off at 61 years, preceded by 20 years of heart trouble. Mother’s went off at 76, preceded by 8 years of Alzheimer’s.
I don’t believe
I’m a fatalist because I’ve placed my life and trust in the sovereign hands of
Christ my Savior. But, I don’t want to be dismissive about all this either and
let the remaining good years of health and vitality allocated to me by God to
just slither away unfulfilled and end up saying “I could have had a V-8.”
Our conviction is to not wait around
until we reach a certain age in a certain year having a certain amount of
retirement and savings, and then begin to do fun and extreme things because life
is UNCERTAIN.
When our youngest daughter Katy was about to get married and leave home, I began to put the puzzle pieces together from all the input sources and decided that the so-called retirement years are meant to be the available years. That is, available to answer the call of your heart and to re-invest what God has been investing in you up to now. Even your mistakes over the years have taught you valuable lessons that need not be kept in secret, but shared when opportunities knock.
In other words,
God began to show me that in the “available years” you are at the top of
your game and don’t even think about shutting down and coasting to a slow stop.
Absolutely not! It’s time to re-tool, re-think, re-boot, re-invest, re-vive.
