1"Now King David was old and advanced in years." (1 Kings 1:1a ESV)
The golden years. The evening of life. Later today, I will come face-to-face with the ugly side of this chapter in life. Today the process of moving my mother into a memory care, assisted living facility begins. There is nothing golden about dementia. It can transform the evening of life into a nightmare of living. Luckily as of right now, mom is still at a level where we can have a conversation, take walks, and enjoy time together. How long that may last is not a question that can be answered.
Most of us spend our years with at least one eye on retirement. When we get that golden watch, the sheet cake, and send-off party, we will (fill-in-the-blank). And while it is true that many plans must wait until retirement because of work requirements, don't be surprised if the plans for complete that bucket list looks different at 60 than they did at 40.
In the 12th chapter of Luke, Jesus recounts the parable of the rich fool. The gentleman in question has grand plans for more barns, more grain, more goods. He plans to "relax, eat, drink, be merry" because of all he had stored up over the years. Boy, was he disappointed because God had other plans for him. "God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’" (Luke 12:20 ESV)
We should have prayerfully made, God-led plans not only our days and weeks but the years. Retirement plans are not sinful. Investments in a 401k are not disobedience. But it is important that God reserves the right to make changes to our best-laid plans. Changes are not only a possibility, but a probability.
It is when the changes arrive that we can either be angry and disobedient, or prayerful and obedient. Regardless of how whether we choose to embrace or curse a detour in our plans, for most of us, it is inevitable.
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