Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:3, ESV)
About a dozen years ago or so, I first heard a strong, godly man in his 70s say that he doesn’t believe in retirement. My 35-year-old self was greatly offended!
Not only was I already thinking about my own retirement (ha!), but my dad had retired at 55, and I knew at the time that it was the absolute best thing for his health.
Fast forward to this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open, where 73-year-old Barb Moxness, the oldest player in the field, kept up the incredible habit of shooting her age or better.
Moxness was T-12 heading into the weekend before an injury forced a withdrawal.
“I really believe it’s the call on my life from God, so I keep going,” said Moxness of what keeps her motivated. “I keep asking Him every year, ‘Is it time to quit?’ And He goes, ‘No, it’s not time to quit yet.’ So I go, ‘OK, we’ll just keep going.’”
Other players in the field at Barton Hills told Moxness they were there because of her. Her success at previous championships had inspired them to qualify.
Moxness retired from the LPGA in 1986. The tour didn’t have daycare at the time, and after traveling with her firstborn son for a year, she decided to quit.
“The thing that put me over the edge,” recalled Moxness, “was one day I got him out of bed and was going to take him to the grocery store, and he thought we were going to get on an airplane. I thought, ‘That’s not stability for this child.’”
So now, as a grandmother of three, she’s on the road again, writing a new chapter.
As Christians, we are called to a life of service.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23)
When is it time to end one chapter and begin anew? Moxness sets a beautiful example of seeking the Lord for guidance.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the wise gentleman who sat across from me at the dinner table all those years ago wasn’t necessarily talking about working at a job until we drop dead.
We can serve the Lord in countless ways at any age—through mentorship, volunteerism, or even playing golf.
The point is to find your mission field in every season and get to work.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for allowing us to be part of Your glorious plan. Forgive us for the times we fail to see where we are meant to serve. We are ready to work.