husband

He Finished Well

~ mercyfortheday ~ 1 Comment

We’ve been planning this day for a while now. Two years, in fact. The time when he can leave behind the cares of employment. The day when he can close the door one last time for being on call twenty-four hours seven days a week. The time has come for others to take his place. Oh. It was hard letting go of a job he truly loved. But it was also a sweet relief to turn in his badge and sign off one last time. No regrets. 

Sure. There was a celebration for him. He was honored and applauded. Many kind and gracious words were spoken of his leadership, strong decision making and dedication to always doing the right thing. He treated others with respect and never backed down from speaking words of truth and wisdom when needed.  And many noted that at times he was the only one to use tough love.

As many lauded his actions and achievements, he wiped tears from his eyes. He knew he was well loved and respected. He would be missed. His replacement told him that he had big shoes to fill. Their kind words will make for many memories as he walks away from many years of service in a place he dearly loved and fought for. As one whose love language is words of affirmation, his cup was filled to the brim and running over that day. Those words of respect and kindness will stay with him for years to come.

He worked hard and found great enjoyment in serving others. As I mentioned, he showed tough love when it was appropriate, but he showed it with kindness and respect. He has never been one to mince words when speaking the truth, and some are uncomfortable with strong truths. But that didn’t stop him from having hard conversations with those who needed correction and direction. He always found the right way to say the words that needed to be said without demoralizing the listener, and many he worked with acknowledged him for it.

He can walk away with his head held high and his heart full of accomplishment. He finished well the course of a forty three year career. Oh. There were tough times. And there were many lessons learned. There were multiple job losses and new paths forged. But he walked through each new door ready to learn and accomplish much. As he now lays all those years of service aside, he won’t become lazy. He’ll find a new path to walk and new faces and names to learn. He’s ready for a more leisurely pace, but he hasn’t given up on life. He’ll walk through this new door and find a new contentment and enjoyment he’s totally unaware of at this point. He’ll find his way.

Oh. He’ll face new challenges as he crosses the threshold of retirement,  but he can look back on the years of rising early, knowing he did a job well done. There’s nothing wrong with finishing a career. It’s expected. But there is still a journey ahead that will have its own twists and turns. That, too, is expected.  It’s called life.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

Never think that your acts of service and words of truth go unseen and unheard. In the right moments, others are watching and listening. They see and hear you, and your godly example does not go unnoticed. Oh. They may never publicly or even privately acknowledge your efforts, but trust me. They notice. And they may be envious of the ease in which you carry yourself. Don’t ever walk away from honest living. 

The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field”–simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.

Oswald Chambers

Oh. A life lived well isn’t without stress and suffering. It’s a testament to the strength and graciousness of a loving God who walks by your side each and every day. The responsibility should not be taken lightly, but at the appointed hour the burden is lifted. The torch is passed to the next generation. And that time has come for him. 

So. Welcome to retirement, my dear. The road has been long, but the days are still short. You have earned the welcome relief of a slower pace of life, less stress and long stretches of sleep. I pray you find your way in this new phase of life as we grow old together. You are the best. And I love you.

Let me be clear. Greatness isn’t about being seen. It’s not about platforms or follower counts or fleeting viral fame. It’s not about accolades or promotions, the hollow rewards that come with a title but not always with true fulfillment. It’s about impact. The kind that doesn’t seek applause. The kind that shifts something in another person’s spirit. The kind that ripples on the waters of another’s heart. The kind that opens up new possibilities. The kind that brings healing, clarity, and light where there once was only darkness.

Etienne Toussaint

Moving On

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Well. We’ve done it. We packed up and moved across two state lines. It felt like a hasty decision, but we have also felt the hand of God guiding the entire process. To say it all went smoothly is an understatement. We found a new house quickly and sold a house quickly. And now the settling in and unpacking of many, many boxes begins. Oh. If anyone had told me at the beginning of the year that we would be moving out of a home we loved and journeying over three hundred miles to begin anew, I would have laughed. But the joke is on me. And here I sit in a new house near family members I haven’t lived near for over forty years. It feels good. And it feels right.

I know that soon the empty boxes will outnumber the full ones, but right now the task of emptying them seems daunting. The first priority is to repair any plumbing issues in the house. Homes have a way of aging, just as people do. And they need regular upkeep and maintenance to run smoothly and efficiently. Oh. We know there will be more repairs down the road. The inspection showed some minor issues that need tackled, so we’ve started our priority list.

Moving on from a beloved home is an adjustment. We loved our home and hadn’t really planned to leave it, but we found over the past year that our life priorities were shifting. We decided to test the waters of relocating, and now we’ve done it. The move has happened. By the end of the week, we’ll close on that beloved home and continue settling into this a-frame we now call home.

After this move and downsizing, I’ve decided that I have no desire to move again. We’ll see if I can hold to that. I sure hope so.

The thing about this change that warms my heart is that the suggestion to move two states away came from my dear husband. He said it was time to take me back to my home state after living away from my family for so many years. I didn’t know that my heart was leading me back to this state where I was born, but the more I thought about it the more excited I became. This man of mine is a gem.

One of the most heartwarming parts of the move thus far was having my family members come to help us unload all the furniture and boxes. Being closer to them is a dream come true. But honestly, I didn’t even know it was a dream until my husband suggested it. And then I realized here is where we belong.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Now we begin the task of finding our way in our new life and home. New church. New doctors. New grocery store. New everything. It’s a much smaller town that we’re now in. A cornfield is our backyard. We moved from a city where we regularly saw wildlife along with freeway traffic. Now we’ll slow our pace and forget the headaches of stop and go traffic.

We’ve left longtime friends and church family, but we will always keep them in our hearts. And we’ll find new friends. A new church family. We’ll meet new neighbors. Starting over is daunting, but the excitement of the newness is within. I hope and pray it is an easy transition. We don’t know the road ahead, so we pray for God’s grace and guidance.

Sure. There have been sleepless night with all the planning and hoping and anticipation, so hopefully now peaceful sleep will find me again. But during this entire process, the peace of God has been a settling factor in progressing toward this change. The anxiousness has revolved around selling a house and packing up. Making sure all the moving parts move at the right time and speed. And hoping that nothing gets lost in the transition.

I’m looking forward to growing old(er) in this new phase of life. There will be adjustments, but change doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s just a fact of life, really. Most of us try to avoid change, but it’s good to embrace a good change every now and then. We are resilient people. But most of all, God is good and he’ll provide for every step of the way. I trust his guiding hand, and I know that he will carry us forward as we adjust to our new surroundings.

This Man

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

This man. He is the love of my life. We shared the vows. For better. For worse. For richer. For poorer. In sickness and in health. Till death us do part. We signed the pledge. We are one.

This man. He is a man of strength. He is a man of his word. He is kind. He is faithful. He is honorable. He is a problem solver.

This man. He has the gift of helps. He enjoys serving others. Helping them to find the work that is right for them. He is a mentor to young men at his work place. He counsels them. He encourages them. He corrects them. He guides them to thinking about others more than self. He stands up for those who have been wronged and counsels those who are guilty.

This man. He is a type-A personality. He was a workaholic in his younger years. He spent more time at work than anywhere else. He knows the value of hard work. Now he has learned the value of slowing down. Of taking time for himself. Taking it easy is now a gentle reminder of a hard day’s work.

This man. I recall the years when he was his mother’s caregiver. Each week, he would buy and deliver her groceries. He would spend time with her. Take her to appointments. Pay her bills. Sit and listen to her. He honored his mother and took care of her earthly needs until her dying day.

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. John 15:12

This man. He seemed to enjoy the spotlight when he was young. He enjoyed being the center of attention. But as he grew more comfortable with himself and his lot in life, his true personality shone forth. He is an introvert. He enjoys time alone. He enjoys quiet hobbies. He looks forward to being in the comfort of his home, yet he always welcomes newcomers with a smile and a handshake. He’s comfortable in his own skin.

This man. He gives good advice. He owns godly wisdom like it’s no one’s business. He speaks words of truth and depth, when at times it isn’t popular. He offers advice from his years of working with a range of personalities. He’s spent years working for taskmasters and also for those who treated him as an equal. He makes others feel welcome and wanted.

This man. At his core, he is a musician. He makes music as if it’s a simple task. His talent reaches to the heart of the listener. He plays his instruments with a gentle touch, yet the sound is powerful enough to move one to tears.

This man. He knows the difference between right and wrong. He knows the whip of rejection, yet he has experienced the brush of exoneration. He fights for the underdog. He stands for truth and honor.

This man. My husband. The one I choose to call my own. He’s worth more than a thousand men and stands tall among his peers. Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be.