Friday, June 20, 2008
Back from Spain...
Marsha and I are back from our trip to Spain with Herald of Truth. We spent a week with Juan Monroy and our Spain Herald of Truth field office staff. Juan is amazing. In the midst of planning for future ministry projects, we celebrated Juan's 79th birthday. He has told me many times that he plans to die preaching...but not for many more years. Juan still records a daily radio program, writes two articles per week, preaches regularly, serves as an elder in Madrid, preaches in at least six campaigns around the world, and is working on three books.
He caused me to reflect on our concept of retirement. I am not sure that retirement is an option for a Christian in the sense our culture thinks of retirement. For a Christian, retirement might just mean freedom from the demands of employment in order to give more time to ministry.
When I quit selling ads for a phone book to come to work at Herald of Truth, I visited with our children about what it might mean. When I was telling Joe Don that I would probably not be able to retire when I had planned, he reminded me that what I would do in retirement was preach, write, and talk about Jesus. So, as he said, why not start doing that full-time now. Good advice.
Juan actually "retired" financially. His pay structure is different than when he worked for us full-time. But his workload did not change at all.
What a great man of God. He "gets" it.
I hope I always get it too.
So what are going to do about retirement?
He caused me to reflect on our concept of retirement. I am not sure that retirement is an option for a Christian in the sense our culture thinks of retirement. For a Christian, retirement might just mean freedom from the demands of employment in order to give more time to ministry.
When I quit selling ads for a phone book to come to work at Herald of Truth, I visited with our children about what it might mean. When I was telling Joe Don that I would probably not be able to retire when I had planned, he reminded me that what I would do in retirement was preach, write, and talk about Jesus. So, as he said, why not start doing that full-time now. Good advice.
Juan actually "retired" financially. His pay structure is different than when he worked for us full-time. But his workload did not change at all.
What a great man of God. He "gets" it.
I hope I always get it too.
So what are going to do about retirement?
