One of the joys, as well as one of the surprises, of retirement is being able to see that you have been able to help people along the way. We were at a wedding this past weekend, talking with a young lady that attended St. Paul's High School in Concordia, Missouri. She began talking about how wonderful the head of that institution is, and I realized she was talking about one of my students. It does give one a pause to realize that the "young people" you once taught are now the ones who are running things.
Or take for example the vicars that I have had. There were definitely some that were less than pleased with me, but we still exchange Christmas cards with most of them, and many are doing quite well. Soon after the last post on retirement, I got a Facebook message from one of my vicars that I would like to share with you.
""Nearly 20 years later, I still count my "success" as a pastor to an outstanding vicarage year in Maryville. A long leash, lots of responsibility, weekly lunches with Dave Hancock and your delightful wife's cooking, a lasting friendship and racquetball in place of Greek! Candidly, Ted, you gave me the confidence that I have today!"
A voice like that from the past can do immeasurable good. If you happen to have someone who has touched your life in some way in the past (in the good sense, of course), take the time to let them know. You have no idea how high a message like that can lift one's spirits.
No comments:
Post a Comment