Challenged by Retirement

 Good Morning,

Last week Tony preached at yet another church that we didn't know about until they called him for pulpit supply.  I love this life we have, constantly meeting new brothers and sisters and enjoying time spent with them. 

During the service, they showed a video announcing Hawaii's call to prayer for evangelism.  After a moment, I realized that the speaker was a young kid we’ve known for over 25 years! He came out as a teenager as part of a mission team when we lived in Sydney. He and our son bonded immediately, and still stay in contact to this day. But here he was on the video, a distinguished mature gentleman with a GRAY beard!  How's that for making you feel old?

Looking at him on the screen, it occurred to me that in many ways, Hawaii's been in our blood even longer that Australia.  Our initial visit to Honolulu was on our first trip to Japan as career missionaries in 1978. Any way you cut it, that was a LOONG time ago!  Over the years, we’ve dropped in and out many times, making new friends each time. Seeing our 'youth' friend on Sunday was a reminder of the long association God has allowed us with these wonderful co-workers. Maybe that's why we love to come here and are so happy today to have found new opportunities to bless be blessed by them.

Make no mistake, we still love our home in Australia, along with the country of our birth and ancestors, the USA. 

I think Paul says it so well in Romans 12. Normally, I steer clear of "The Message" translation because I feel that it sometimes takes a bit of licence, but this time it really identified what I’m feeling.

Have a look for yourselves and see what you think.

Here’s Romans 12:2 complements of King James:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

And now the same verse from The Message:

"Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

Whichever version you like, I think I realise here why we love our time in Hawaii so much. With so many opportunities every day to work, and serve, and be a part of Great Commission challenges, we have a chance to “be our best”, something we’ve missed since retirement. Oh, there’s plenty of work to be done back home, but the situation here gives us that old experience of waking up each morning and saying to ourselves, “I have something to do today; and if I don’t do it, it may not get done.”

So please let this be a reminder. We were created with work to accomplish; and doing that work is what gives us joy, peace and fulfillment. Retirement doesn’t put an end to the responsibility. That only comes when we hear those precious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant …” (Matthew 25:23).

On that note, I'd really appreciate your prayers as you read this.  Tony and I will be taking the church service at the largest Japanese church here in Hawaii.  The pastor (also an old friend) is in quarantine with Co-Vid, and it’s been left to us. Tony will be preaching, but these folks (bless em!) always asks me to share a testimony as well, and I have to confess that my Japanese is getting really rusty!  Just pray that I don't say something rude!  If you’ve heard some of the real beauties I’ve come out with over the years, you’ll have an idea of just what I’m capable of!

CYA next week!!

Marsha