Ten Years

Ten years is a long time.  Ten years ago I hung up my preacher's robe and retired to the farm.  It has been a long time.  But, it has been a good time.  Life has been filled with unfolding and surprising blessings and there is no reason to expect anything different in the future.  But, still ten years is a long time.  It is particularly a long time for someone who has moved so many times, it takes more than fingers and toes to count them all.  My father was in the Air Force until his death when I was seven and then five years later my mother re-married to a Methodist preacher.  Moving has been a part of my life since the earliest of years.

 

I was blessed to serve churches which were willing to put up with me a long time.  After serving the St. John Church in Columbus for nine years, I figured that would be the record.  I was wrong.  When I left Columbus I went to Vidalia where I stayed ten years.  Ten years is my record for staying anywhere and now I have gone past that mark in retirement.  How does someone live in one place longer than ten years?  And, even more so, how does one settle into one place for ten years and whatever might be left in the clock?

 

I suppose we do it one day at a time.  Or, maybe it is one moment at a time.  What is present is all that we can know for sure.  God and God alone knows the number of our days and the minutes which are left.  As it has always been, whatever is ahead is in His hands which hold abundant mercy, all sufficient grace, and unconditional love.  What better place to live out our days!  While I am not sure how life beyond ten years in one place looks, I do know there is no need to worry.  God is the giver of the present moment and the present moment has proven to a blessing more times than I can count so I will just continue to receive each present moment He gives to me on this earth and throughout eternity with gratitude.