After retirement, the mentor I've written about took time to travel. When I worried about the expense of some of the trips for a lifetime teacher, she said, "I prepared for retirement, so that my disposable income went up when I retired."
There was the trip to Japan. She wanted to see so much, but particularly the Kyoto Zoo. Making a long story short, she was startled by a large deer and tripped over the edging along the sidewalk, breaking a hip. Surgery was done quickly, therapy followed, and she took a flight back to the U.S. A short time of therapy near home, and then the Physical Therapist announced one day that there would be no further improvement. It was "as good as it would get", with her still limping on a cane.
She simply said: "I don't think so!", took her cane for a long walk outside, and began immediately shopping for a better recovery system. After checking several exercise programs, she settled on one called Body Recall. She became convinced of the value, and went to Kentucky to visit with the national head of the program. She sold her church on sponsoring it and promoted it. She traveled to other churches (including one that I served), and started Body Recall in several places.
For her? She made a full recovery, left the cane behind, resumed her travels all over the world. China and Africa followed. Problems caught up with her now and then, but she was never passive!
How? She absolutely refused to give up! Aging happened. Frailty came in its time. When you live past 90, sometimes things don't work like you expect. You boldly look reality in the face, head on, and learn how to say: "It is what it is." You pray and study, you love your people, including your church people. You push yourself, but you never, never just give up!
But life is too precious and too good simply to give up!
Jesus offers "the abundant life"; and that is not a matter that just says: "I used to....", not for "in heaven by and by", it is for today!
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