A number of my contemporaries have retired and a number more are contemplating such. Although there are times the thought crosses my mind, I don't think it is something for which I am ready. I can't envision myself in what most consider as retirement.
My career has consisted of a series of periods doing different things. I won't go into details of the various segments, but suffice it to say that each stands somewhat alone in that they are all dissimilar in many ways -- almost as if they were each a separate career. Usually a career is built as one continuous advancement after another that leads inevitably up some "ladder" of progressively greater responsibility, or higher function within a trade or industry. Mine hasn't really looked like that, but each piece could stand alone as if it was a separate book rather than a chapter in a long story.
The consolidating factor between them is that in retrospect, each contributes to the next in the knowledge and experience gained being applicable in some subtle fashion. It is as if it is a layer cake with clearly separate layers which build upon each other. I can only hope that at the end there is a generous portion of frosting.
One of my "outside interests" is archeology. I enjoy delving into the past and it intrigues me to find an object that is from some ancient period and speculate as to its use and those who used it. I have never been involved in a professional archaeological dig, but it is something I have often thought would be enjoyable. Perhaps there will be opportunity some day to do so on a volunteer basis.
My mind connects archeology to my career because it too is often a series of layers which build up over time to create a timeline of events. Human habitations seem to be renewed over time even when cataclysmic events may erase them for a period. Often, the renewal is located upon the rubble of the ruined. It seems that certain locations remain attractive in spite of past occurrences that may have led to their demise. When such a location is discovered, carefully conducted excavation using proper scientific techniques can reveal a history of the people who lived, worked and died on that particular piece of ground. History is recorded in many ways. The facts captured in the remains are unchanging even though our understanding is often obscured by the passage of time.
I see the same in my career. Even though each segment stands alone, in retrospect there is connection that ties them into a cohesive whole -- an interconnected history. As I look toward the future I can only speculate where the path will lead, but I know that the pieces will all fit together. Perhaps someday retirement will seem a suitable place to be, but it isn't on my current horizon.
I have never discovered within the Bible any reference to retirement. Instead, there are many references to serving others. When you view your career -- your job -- as service to others, it changes your perspective. It adds a higher level of purpose to your life. It gives you reason to pursue, to improve, to build, to bring value, to enhance the lives of others. It impels you to live.
Retirement, on the other hand, seems to imply, "I have given all I plan to give, now I will take for me." Maybe we need to redefine retirement as a change of direction -- a change of career. Let it be the frosting between the layers of the cake which is our service to others.
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." -- 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
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