What Do Retired People Do?        

                                                    (At least one such person)

Last Sunday when I was greeting people in church, one man ask me how I was doing and then, what do you do, knowing that I was retired for some time. I responded,”That is a good question. When you don't have to go to work anymore, what do you do?” He recognized the issue and problem, and agreed that one needs to find new things to do with an abundance of time available when one no longer needs to “go to work”.

We then talked of some things I do, like spend a lot of time on the computer with the myriad of things one can find there to do. He seemed to understand and did not show scorn over that. How nice! And then when I mentioned that we have a large back yard to occupy time, and also that we have several rentals to maintain, he seemed to be even more understanding.

This conversation led me to think of what all I actually find myself doing. To think through this, I don't know whether it is better to list thing by importance to me that I do, or by how much time I spend doing them. So let me just list some things I do beside the above mentioned, and what it may even mean that I do the above things.

While it is most impressive  to working people that I maintain property and manage several rentals, that actually takes very few hours per month unless there is a change of renters and a house has to be updated.  And working outdoors also is mostly a summer job, and then I get tired physically after only a half hour or an hour of hard work- even if it is mostly walking. Besides it makes no money!

I get credited a lot if I say I work with Hospice, sitting with old people in their final days. Yet this has usually occupied no more than several hours a week and sometime none for a month. Most valued by most friends of mine but little time spent per month on an average. Sometime persons I sit with never even know I was there, or would not remember it 30 minutes later. But there also are most rewarding contacts with patients and families who appreciate our support...

Something that takes more mental and Spiritual energy than physical is keeping up with about 6 families in Belize that were close to us when we were living there. They call once or more per month explaining their needs and concerns and I have to decide the best way of helping them, which often includes sending money for the basics of life, including food and medical. And how much counseling can you do over long distance telephone or texting?

Few understand what all I can do on the computer that is interesting, amusing, and some even outgoing for others. Games are a challenging past time, and also entertaining and even helping to keep my mind sharp. Reading news headlines, I always do, and follow up with items of interest. Sometimes I feel I travel around the world even before our family devotions in the morning. (More on praying later.) Of course there is email, keeping me informed some about the church, friends and much irrelevant stuff I just erase. Equally informing or more so is Facebook, where I have to scroll down a lot to find anything of interest, but I also get news from family and friends that I would never get otherwise. It is my best source of info from some nieces and nephews. Some time I share my “wisdom” in responding to comments and news items.

Then also the computer is the writing tool for current thought which may help me clarify my thinking and keeping me informed of what I believe! Then there are my blogs which number over a hundred entries by now, where I share matters that may challenge many, which I also value. It is a ministry as I check in on the many “page views” responses of people from around the world who check in on each writing. Sometimes I have to pray for people in Korea, Russia, and anywhere else in the world who may be mulling over my writings. So the computer offers many opportunities to socialize, and exercise my mind and reach out to challenge many. Certainly time can be wasted on the computer but it offers such a variety of opportunities for the good in entertaining, mental exercise, and outreach. Presently I am also writing my biography, including much writings about our 25 years in Belize.

I mentioned prayer in connection with blogging, and news around the world gives much basis for praying intercessory every morning. It often feels we travel around the world in praying, dipping down in Belize, Bangladesh, Puerto Rico and many other places. Nearby are also neighbors, renters, the church and many more. Abroad are missionaries who need our support in prayer, including some of our family anticipating mission service. We pray for the work of the Spirit around the world moving people to seek the true God.  It gives me ambivalent feelings to sit there in the living room in the peace of the morning with relatively no worries of my own, no crises I am facing compared to that which I know millions of people are struggling with. I wonder how I can worship God and be thankful in a world where I am exempt from the hardship millions of hopeless refugees and famished are struggling for survival. And even Christians many places live in greater peril of their lives than ever.

So there are many things for an older person to do. In fact there are so many, including distractions that one can daily wonder if one is using the time wisely. I often think how I may feel in a decade or two when many things possible now may be more difficult, and there is no going back to the good old, old days of my present life.                                                                                     October 22, 2017