Retirement

 

November 10, 2020 I experienced a major cardiac event – a massive heart attack. Just last week I was reminded by my surgeon of a couple of things. First, that I still held a spot in the top three worst case scenarios that has ever survived such an event in the history of Trident Medical Center in North Charleston, SC. Second, due to the death of one of the muscles in my lower right leg and the removal of that muscle due to its becoming gangrenous, I hold the record for having that much tissue removed from my leg and not having it amputated. Although I’m still not completely healed from the surgery on my leg, I am able to walk without assistance and am able to drive my car and operate my tractor.

I have been told that I flat-lined four times and that during my 112 days in the hospital every major physiological system shut down at least once. I was intubated several times and met a wonderful lady named Betsy who drained the fluid from my chest cavity six times. During that time, I had thirty-eight units of blood dumped into me and I rival Steve Austin. He was the six-million dollar man. My insurance company has been billed for over seven million dollars since my event.

The day of my heart attack I was given zero percent chance of survival. My wife was given no hope of seeing me alive again and the mortician had been contacted to let him know that he may be needed to pick up my body at any moment.

There was a time when I had thought about retirement. This May I will turn sixty-seven years of age. Isn’t that when we are all supposed to be retired and enjoying a life of leisure? Shouldn’t we all be thinking of that down time we have worked all our lives to experience?

I read the story of Caleb and am fascinated with his desire to serve. At eighty-five years of age, he was just starting out. We read nothing of him until Numbers 13.6 when he was forty years of age. That was when Moses sent him along with eleven others to spy out the Promised Land and to bring back a report. He and Joshua brought back a report of faith while the other ten cowered at the prospect of going up against the giants. The next chapter in Numbers shows Caleb, after he had been put on hold for forty-five years, waiting to possess the land. Rather than becoming complacent, it seems his desire to occupy the Land and to be in God’s will had only become stronger.

At the age of eighty-five, Caleb’s heart was on fire to move forward possessing the promises of God. When is the time right to retire from serving God? Should the believer ever consider getting out of the business of following God and pursuing His will? While we may retire from secular labor, I find nothing in the Scriptures that would suggest a follower of Christ should ever look forward to sitting on the sidelines while others do the work of the ministry. As a matter of fact, it would seem from a careful reading of Hebrews 12.1 & 2, the grandstands are reserved for those who have entered eternity.

I’m not yet the age of Caleb, but it seems apparent that God chose to leave me here for a while longer. Understanding that, I think I need to find the mountain God has offered me and go out and possess it.

What is your mountain? Has God left you here to stand by idly not being active in His service? Maybe we all need to cry out to God asking Him to let us see the mountain He wants us to possess and then possess it.