Knowing What Time It Is

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Ted Koppel of ABC's Nightline, said, "There are two ways to retire. One is too soon. The other is too late." He took the first option. I felt that way when, after fifteen years, I resigned from Lincoln Heights Christian Church. I didn't want the elders to have to tell me it was time to quit. I wanted to give somebody else the opportunity to take the church beyond what I was able. My friends ask me if I miss preaching. You bet I do! For almost fifty years everything I saw, heard, read or did was material to help illustrate Bible messages. That's hard to turn off. I continue to read and study but I lack a pulpit. Silly me, I thought the elders at Lincoln Heights would invite me back to the pulpit at least once or twice a year. That hasn't happened. I knew that even small congregations have at least two preachers now, and don't need anybody to "fill in." I thought that when a congregation was looking for a new preacher that they might invite me on an interim basis. That hasn't happened either. But, like Ted Koppel, I'm still glad I quit before being asked to do so. My first speech teacher often told the class, "Stop when they are wanting you to go on." I practiced that when preaching. My messages were usually 25 minutes----sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I wanted to quit speaking before the congregation stopped listening. I write this for those of you who ask, "What are you and Charlotte doing with your time?" We do the next thing. We get up every day excited about what God has planned for us. We hope you do too. God bless you as you live for Him.