Don't Wait Too Long

I have to admit this is not the usual advice I hear. I am hoping to retire early from a good job with an excellent company, most of the time my friends ask: “Why leave, you have a great job (true), what will you do with your days?”

What if you run out of money?

What if you get tired of traveling, or golf, or reading?

What if you need long-term care?

What if, what if, what if….

I have heard them all, voiced with concern and love from those who care.

One of the benefits of being a traveling salesman is that I have long periods alone behind the wheel, these are my favorite times. I relish the quiet. My mind has time to bring ideas to fruition without interruption. Sure sometimes it is boring, but overall I find it to be beneficial. This week as I rolled down I-5 heading towards the middle of California’s great central valley I had another set of “what if’s” filling my mind and causing me to contemplate my future.

When I stopped for fuel in Williams I parked next to a gentleman from British Columbia in a 36 foot motor home. As I unwound myself from the seat of my compact car he looked at me and remarked that it looked like I was having a tough day. I was a little stiff getting to the pump and I replied: “Not too bad, I am just jealous. I have a new fifth wheel at home just waiting for me to take off and see the country.” He was heading to Palm Springs for a couple weeks and then onto Arizona to hike away the winter months.

I mentioned that I had been to British Columbia a couple of times in the past few years and that it was lovely. We traded a little banter and it was time for me to get back on the road. And that is when he hit me with his parting advice.

He said: “Don’t wait too long”

“I won’t I replied, I have a few more years to go, I need to get everything in place first.”

“I understand” he said, “But don’t wait too long. I see a lot of that, people who waited too long.”

It is a lot to think about, this whole idea of how much is enough. Like we have any security anyway. I plan for 40 years of life and then pray not to have a stroke tonight.

So I 've decided to be a brave adventurer and not to wait too long. I don’t want to say that I should have left 5 years sooner, I could have climbed to the top of that hill and seen the sunrise. I could have gone down that river if I were just a little younger. I’ve never been one to take many chances, but this is one I must try. I have noticed that there are two distinct personalities giving advice. There are those waiting and planning, and then there are those like my Canadian gas station guru, already living out their fantasy. I am a firm believer that we cannot change who we are, we were created by God in a certain fashion and that is what we forever will be, but I have decided to try beating back my inner-spreadsheet fanatic and take a little chance. I really do not want to say that I waited too long.

So it looks like 1 year, 11 months and 23 days until the campfires begin. But who’s counting.

Does God Ever Say No?

Is this what it look like when God says “No?” Somebody built this house in the middle of nowhere trying to live a good life. It is one of the bleakest spots I have ever seen. If it weren’t for the power lines there would be no other signs of civilization for miles. Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, the answer is not what you are looking for. The reasons may elude us, and faith in our faith may drive us to continue pursuing a lost cause. Don Quixote comes to mind as a satirical example.

I once had a pastor who was more than that to me, he was a friend and a mentor. He was diagnosed with cancer in a middle stage and we were all pretty sure that things would be fine. We did all the things you would expect a church to do and he did all the right things as well. One Sunday morning he took the podium and announced that sometimes we try too hard. Sometimes we fight too long. Sometimes the answer to our prayers is no. As a congregation we were shocked and relieved. The truth was apparent to anyone with vision, yet to hear him say it was a blessing. It allowed us to be true to what we knew yet did not want to say out loud. In this case the Lord had said no. He came to grips with his own mortality and peacefully passed on to the next life.

This troubles me now because of something I heard regarding faith. That if we; that is the collective we - as in all Christians in the U.S. - just had more faith, many of our troubles would be over. I have a problem with that, because it ignores one huge issue. It takes in no account of an idea being wrong. What if God is telling a leader not to proceed? How would He voice that command. Could it be through a lack of participation in the congregation? Through grumbling perhaps? I say that is very possible.

After the service we had a quite lively discussion over the concept that it is a lack of faith in America causing these issues. It could very well be the case in some places, but there have to also be other instances where the answer is simply no and the people don’t want to hear it. Throughout the bible we have proven ourselves to be hard of hearing when it comes to the Lord’s commands. We are easily led, sometimes by our own desires, to our detriment.

The next time you question yourself for not being faithful enough take a moment to reflect, are you sure you are listening? Are you sure you aren’t behaving like one who refuses to take no for an answer? As my pastor once said, it is possible to try too hard, sometimes instead of exhorting we need to listen.

Like so many questions of faith this is not one that can be answered for you, because your answer is yours and yours alone. No one else can tell you if you are being faithful or stubborn, that is between you and your Lord.