“The other day” – a great way to start a story. Much better than “once upon a time”.
Oops, got sidetracked – is that ADHD or just having too much in my brain I can’t slow down to write this blog. I vote for the latter!
Anyways, the other day someone asked me why I hadn’t made more of my life. A little context here: He was a new acquaintance. I was giving him my bio and explaining who I am.
When you are in your sixties you learn two ways to storytell your life experiences.
The first is the long version, which usually adds a few embellishments and hopefully keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The length is irrelevant to the impact that you hope to have on your hearers.
The second is the abbreviated version, learned over years of having to say the same thing over and over. Your hope is to cover your lifespan in sixty seconds.
I had given the abbreviated version, including such things as finishing two masters degrees, serving in administration in a post-secondary education facility, and being a pastor.
Somehow this person envisioned someone with my background as having gone somewhere, done something, been someone. None of which seemed to be contained in my short resume.
Well, I have done all those things. Just not the way he expected.
I’m back home. Retired in a small town. Content to let the world go by while I focus on an area of service I think is important.
I’m more convinced than ever that God has a wonderful plan for the rest of my life, and death is part of it.
So getting grandiose ideas of our worth is a colossal waste of time. Hang out with your creator, hang in with your fellow man (in the generic sense), and do what you like!
Then you’ll rather enjoy ending up with your creator when you die, you’ll still get to hang out with people, and I understand the destination brochure for heaven resides on the same shelf as party-time excursions.
And so, hopefully, I will be content to know that I have a little taste of heaven, here and now, in this humble village I call home.
Sounds good. Don’t you hate it though when people judge you or others by standards of education, wealth, place in society,outward image, or whatever, when they don’t know the real YOU ? So glad God knows where our heart is !
Hi Ron, just retired the end of December. Enjoyed your post.