Retirement or Re-tire-ment?

I recently retired from being a pastor of over 30 years. I’m not done working, but I don’t plan on taking up another role as pastor. It’s only been two months but I’ve already done a lot of thinking about what retirement means.

New Freedom

The first thing that hit me after I stopped working was a tremendous freedom to redefine myself. This is true for any profession. No matter how much you enjoy your profession, it puts you in a box with a label. It defines who you are and who you will be. 

After so many years in a profession, it can become very routine. In fact, I could pretty much tell you in advance what I would be doing on any given day at any given moment. But now that I’ve retired that has all changed. Every day is different. Every day presents a new possibility. I find it refreshing, which got me thinking about the meaning of the word “retirement.”

Defining Retirement

For many people, retirement is a time to cease from all work. It’s a time to relax and travel. That’s okay, but I’m not looking for an endless vacation. God has gifted me with certain skills (primarily writing, speaking, and leadership) and I fully intend on using them until I’m unable to do so. As I looked at the word, retirement, I saw “re-tire,” as in putting new tires on your car. We all have to do that. Our tires wear out and the car becomes worthless without new tires. 

I think that’s the same thing with your career. At some point, you need to re-tire. You need to stop what you are doing and decide what’s next. Break out of your box and get a fresh perspective on who you are and how you want to finish your time on earth. You might decide to to resume what you have been doing for decades. But maybe there’s more out there for you to explore.

Active Waiting

Personally, I want to take this first year of retirement as a sabbatical… a time away to reflect and not just keep running on the rails that I’ve been on. My wife and I just sold our house of 25 years and are currently “homeless,” too busy traveling and reconnecting with friends and family to want to settle anywhere just yet. We gave away and sold many of our belongings. The few things we have left are in a small storage unit waiting for us to land someplace. We don’t want a house, location, or possessions to define us any more than my career.

I’m curious to know what God has for us, but not anxious. That will come in time. Until then we wait, enjoying the moments we have. Henri Nouwen refers to this state as “active waiting.”

Our spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, expecting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination or prediction. This, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control. (from “You Are the Beloved”)

Active waiting is part of the re-tire-ment process.

I'm enjoying not knowing my future as new "tires" are put on. Stay tuned. I’ll keep you posted.

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