(Today’s post is written by Ray White.)

1 Peter 4:10 — Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

 This week Deborah is sharing insight about retirement and service to God. Entering retirement after a lifetime of structured labor is daunting for some people, while others chase it like a child running to an ice cream truck.

What we do with our time in retirement, like how time is spent in the workforce, matters. Opportunities to be of service to God are all around us, especially if we actively seek ways to serve. Before I retired in the summer of 2021 I prayed God would use me for His glory.

While filling out retirement paperwork with Julie, who I barely knew, a desk photo of her father led to a conversation about him. We discovered her father and I were stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas at the same time in the 1970s.

After meeting Julie I started following this Water Walkers’ blog.  As I read the blog for a week or so, I realized my passion for photography could be useful and volunteered to submit photos to occasionally accompany their posts. That led to submitting daily photos, then later helping with planning and editing. Working on this Water Walkers blog with Deborah and Julie has been a rich blessing from God.

If we ask God to provide opportunities to serve Him, then listen to and follow the Holy Spirit, we will find blessings beyond measure at any time of our life.

Let’s pray:  Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings You provide and please lead me to opportunities to serve You and proclaim the salvation offered by Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10 — Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

This week Deborah is sharing insight about retirement and service to God. Entering retirement after a lifetime of structured labor is daunting for some people, while others chase it like a child running to an ice cream truck.

What we do with our time in retirement, like how time is spent in the workforce, matters. Opportunities to be of service to God are all around us, especially if we actively seek ways to serve. Before I retired in the summer of 2021 I prayed God would use me for His glory.

While filling out retirement paperwork with Julie, who I barely knew, a desk photo of her father led to a conversation about him. We discovered her father and I were stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas at the same time in the 1970s.

After meeting Julie I started following this Water Walkers’ blog.  As I read the blog for a week or so, I realized my passion for photography could be useful and volunteered to submit photos to occasionally accompany their posts. That led to submitting daily photos, then later helping with planning and editing. Working on this Water Walkers blog with Deborah and Julie has been a rich blessing from God.

If we ask God to provide opportunities to serve Him, then listen to and follow the Holy Spirit, we will find blessings beyond measure at any time of our life.

Let’s pray:  Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings You provide and please lead me to opportunities to serve You and proclaim the salvation offered by Christ Jesus. Amen.

Jesus said in Mark 11:24 NIV — Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

My husband, Clark, and I have had many changes occur in our lives within the last year. Last January Clark’s parents moved in with us due to his dad’s declining health. At that time, Clark was already working toward his retirement date of December 30, 2023 from law enforcement. While he mostly enjoyed his years of service, the latter part of his career was spent in administration at the detention center which was very stressful. Clark was eager to retire and alleviate the stress. In the months leading up to his retirement, he would spend time in the evenings browsing online sites for job openings and searching for what he may do next. He would say he didn’t know what he wanted to do when he grew up. I would tell him the right job hadn’t shown up yet because he couldn’t apply until closer to his retirement. I told him at the right time the right job would be there.

November 5, 2023 Clark’s dad fell and broke his femur which resulted in surgery and weeks of being in a rehabilitation facility. Due to the seriousness of his break and his age, the doctors said it could be a year of recovery. After being in the rehab facility for 7 weeks, he was still not able to put any weight on the broken leg. As it turned out, Clark’s dad would be returning home a week before Clark’s retirement. We all realized how much care he would need and began praying about how we would care for him. The Sunday before he came home, Clark and I discussed the predicament on our way to church. While at church someone asked Clark how his dad was doing. After talking with that person, another person asked about his approaching retirement date. Clark said it was like it just hit him like a ton of bricks. The answer to our predicament. God was telling him his job after retirement was to stay home and help his mom take care of his dad. Bam! Answered prayers! Clark felt peace about his epiphany and I am confident he will never regret this time at home caring for his dad. Retirement may not always come as we plan or look how we imagined, but God always has a plan! We just have to trust and obey.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for answered prayers. Open my eyes to Your plans for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV — There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Life is full of seasons. For some of us, one season is a time spent working on a career, often with many hours spent away from home. Those who have a career usually dedicate many years in the workforce. Then comes the time to retire. The way everyone arrives at retirement may look different. For some, their career has been enjoyable and fulfilling which makes retirement bittersweet, while others may have experienced abundant stress that led them to speed up the retirement process. What season are you in with your work life? Are you just beginning your career? Are you in the trenches of the workforce or have you retired? This week I will share with you my recent experiences in this season of my life, and challenge you to closely examine your current season.

Let’s pray: Dear God, thank You for the seasons of life. Open my eyes to the reality of my current season so I may see Your presence and work in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Join us for See You Saturday. God is doing something new!

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

We started the week by saturating ourselves in God’s word and worship. Once again, I encourage you to read all of Psalm 65 on Bible Gateway. God’s fountain of living water is ready and waiting to enrich us abundantly. All we have to do to receive that abundance is ask God to forgive us of our sins, invite Him to live in our hearts, and profess that He is Lord over all.  

Do you notice the wonders of God from sunrise to sunset? I have a wonder to share with you. Did you know the human body is physically made up of 60 percent water? Think about how we too are made up of water spiritually. Because we are in a relationship with Him, we are filled with God’s living water. Thankfully, that well never runs dry. As we sit in prayer, let’s take a moment to thank God for all the wonders we have seen.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for being my source of living water that never runs dry. Thank You for opening my eyes and heart to see Your wonders. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

I know the turbulence I experienced in January will be a thing of the past. I will let it go and not dwell on it. What turbulence have you experienced that you have or have not let go of? Does your plan look different from God’s plan? Are you struggling to see the wonders of God? Are you trusting God or focusing on the turbulence in your life?

Take a moment to listen to Turbulent Skies by Lauren Daigle. In her lyrics she sings, “As long as I have got You by my side, then everything’s fine on turbulent skies.” Even if our plans are different, God has bigger and better things in store. Just keep looking toward the heavens for something new.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for sticking by my side during turbulent times. Help me to keep my eyes focused  on You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bonus: During my time of healing, so many of my friends and family have prayed for me and reached out to check on me. I encourage you to reach out to someone who may need a little God Wink to get them through their day.