A New Calling!

July 28, 2026

“I have been young, and now am old…” Psalm 37:25

A New Calling!

After a 44-year career, I made the decision to retire.

The decision was not easy! I loved my work and found great joy in it. I enjoyed watching what the Spirit was doing in people’s lives. I marveled at God’s people with all of their idiosyncrasies and peculiarities as well as all their amazing potential and possibility.

Following an intense couple of months filled with prayer and discernment, I made the decision to retire. As I sat with my boss to tell her I intended to retire, the tears began to flow. Reality was sinking in; I was leaving something behind. Suddenly, there was a life-time of all kinds of memories and experiences flood through my mind.

As I write this introduction, I have been retired for only a short time. I am still discerning the new thing Jesus is laying out for me. I know it may take some more time. Although I am trying to be patient and still in my waiting and discerning, there is a growing anticipation and excitement that leaves me with a sense of urgency to trust and obey Jesus.

So far, retirement has not been easy for me. I shed many tears during the first six months of my retirement. There have been deep feelings of grief and loss and sadness for things that will likely never be again. I have also struggled with fear that the many incredibly beautiful things the Lord did during my career might not be a part of my future.

I confess that I have not really found a rhythm that feels healthy and holy in retirement. It probably did not help that on the first day of my retirement we moved out of our home of 12 years, moved away from friends to a different city and state, and left a church community where we felt we belonged and were called and where the Spirit had done incredible things.

To be sure, there are many days when I feel disoriented and disconnected and even discouraged. There is a loneliness in all of this that I did not anticipate. There is a loss in all of this I did not expect. There is a letting go in all of this that I did not foresee.  

However, I have found something I did not expect; Jesus has surprised me! Unlike much of my adult life, I have found time to reflect and ponder. The time has been a kind of prayerful examination and deliberate reflection on most of my life. There are new insights, rich blessings, and new understandings that flow out of these contemplative moments.

During this early season of retirement, I am finding great encouragement and inspiration in Psalm 37. David writes the Psalm towards the end of his life. In Psalm 37:25 he writes; “I have been young, and now am old…”

David takes a break from all of his responsibilities to share what the Lord God has taught him through the course of his life. David is writing at, or at least very near, the end of his career and maybe his life. It appears David is reflecting on the lessons of life from the vantage point of his retirement years.

David’s insights ring true because he is a real person with real victories and real struggles. David has known real inspirations and real defeats as well as real closeness to the Lord God and real separation from the Lord God.

David has lived a life not all that different than the life you and I are living.

He knows spiritual victory, the anointing of the Lord God, and the assurance of the Lord God’s presence.

He knows failure, defeat, and doubt.

He knows unspeakable joy, indescribable beauty, and the unfailing faithfulness of the Lord God.

He knows moral failure, deep despair, and unrelenting guilt.

He knows the admiration of people, the pleasure of the Lord God, and the peace and joy of faith.

He knows the shame of lying and cheating as well as God’s tender mercy and abundant grace.

He knows victory on the battlefield, the sorrow of his baby’s death, and a courage only the Lord God can give.

He knows what it is like to stumble rather than do right, to stand for justice when it is not popular, and to tremble in fear while facing the consequences of a poor choice.

He knows a strength only the Lord can give and the weakness that comes when he relies only on his own strength.

He knows the great blessing of family, the deep heart-ache of family, and the disappointment when family does not forgive.

He knows the inspiration that comes in writing beautiful music and poetry and the inability to see anything beautiful or inspiring when stuck in grief.

David is a real person with real victories and blessings as well as real struggles and failures. Sometimes David is focused on the Lord God and the Lord’s leading. Other times, David is self-absorbed and focused only on himself. 

I can relate to David because he is a person who experiences life in similar ways to me. He is totally transparent and vulnerable which means he is accessible to you and me. The good news is David learns and grows as he keeps his eyes upon the Lord. In Psalm 37:25, David tells us that he has grown old and wants to share what he has learned from the Lord God and from other people.   

David shares reflections and regrets, reminisces and reversals, reviews and restrictions. In each reflection there is a Word of God that can guide your life and deepen your relationship with Jesus. At the same time, David can help you better understand the season of life in which you are living right now.

As I reflect upon Psalm 37, I am seeking to discern a new call for my life as I learn to celebrate the years that have already passed and look forward to the years that are yet to come. I invite you to join me on this journey through the lessons David learned.