A YEAR LATER (A Personal Reflection)

Funny how things work: I wasn't going to write another blog entry until the Fall, but suddenly (or almost suddenly), something got into my head and I felt the need to do this. So, here is a response to suddenness.

I went out to take the recycling down to the road this morning,keeping my fingers crossed that I wasn't too late. I have missed it a few times, making me having to deal with the overflow of cans and bottles and cardboard and miscellaneous papers for another two weeks. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal. There is a lot of other things to be fussy about in the world that matter a lot more.

The thing is, now that I have been fully retired for a year, my focus in life has shifted from things like what am I going to preach about Sunday to what do we need from the grocery store? Or from creating an order of worship to what can I make with this leftover lumber in the garage?

One thing is very apparent to me: it was the right time for me to retire when I did. I have a few preaching gigs lined up this summer and that's good. That has always been one of my favorite things as a minister. But I had reached the point of my creativity fading, my leadership waning, and my interest in the goings-on in the Annual Conference lessening. 

I do want to say that it was a good run for me, if not necessarily for anyone else. I had 4 years in St. Andrew's UMC in Cherry Hill, 3 years in Milltown UMC, 3 1/2 years in Smithville and Oceanville UMC's, 25 years in Cranbury UMC, and 9 years in Florence UMC, making a grand total of 44 1/2 years all together. 

So now you're probably wondering what the point is in me telling you all this. Fair enough. The point is that I have rediscovered something; most likely something that you already know. I have discovered that life is important on all levels of our existence. We spend so much time handling the "important" that we overlook the fact that life in general is important; not to be worried about,

but to be appreciated.

So what if I missed recycling day?