April 27, 2025
Today is my last day of full-time work because I am retiring. It feels so foreign to even type that sentence. I am excited and anticipating retirement, but also a little scared and uneasy.
God reminded me of something on my way to work today. When my son was a young boy, he loved Legos. He started out with the "big" Lego blocks as a toddler and then just graduated to the smaller ones with difficult items to build. The directions alone would have caused me to hate Legos, as they were always so complicated. However, he loved them. He would follow those directions and build the item, and it would be perfect. The funny thing is that after he built the intended item, he would immediately tear it down. There would be a million tiny, differently colored, differently shaped Legos in a pile on the floor. My son would then take that pile of Legos and build something wonderful but totally different from what the original directions were instructing him to build.
That is sort of what I feel like right now. For the last 30-some-odd years, I have been a full-time employee somewhere. I knew what to do, what my schedule included, and basically my day was planned out for me. After today, I will be a million pieces just like that pile of Legos. I will have to take those pieces and trust God to reconstruct my life and redefine my purpose.
Notice I said TRUST GOD. If I look at all the different colors of Legos without looking at the instructions, I will become overwhelmed. I have to look at my life and know that God is in control. My emotions right now are all over the place. I am happy, excited, hopeful, scared, sad, and unsure of where or what I will be doing. I could easily "worry" about all this, but I will choose not to.
I will trust God to take those pieces of my emotions to build something new. In Romans 15:13, scripture says the God of hope will fill me with all joy and peace as I trust completely in HIM. I am going to TRUST GOD.
I will also leave behind my wonderful work friends whom I dearly love. They have been my encouragers when I was down, my trusted people when I wasn't sure what to do, the ones I have laughed and cried with, and most of all, the people who have loved me for me. But guess what? They will always be my friends. It just might be in a different way, and I might meet them in a different location, but they will always be on my mind, heart, and prayers. I will TRUST GOD to keep those friendships alive and connected. In Proverbs 17:17 scripture says A friend loves at all times. They will continue to be one of the pieces that God will take and use to rebuild my life and purpose.
I also realize I won't have a set schedule. That seems crazy to me. However, the excitement is knowing that God can use my time however He chooses. He always has a plan. I just have to make sure I follow. I know that God is not done with me yet. I trust HIM completely. My prayer is that He will give me daily opportunities to be a light in a dark place. An opportunity to be the encourager for someone who is down. A chance to be a part of others' life stories. In Colossians 4:5, scripture instructs us to walk in wisdom and redeem our time. I am trusting God to take those pieces of my life to reconstruct a life honoring HIM. I trust Him to place each piece of my life exactly where He wants it to be, keeping me diligent in serving Him.
I TRUST GOD for something new. I can look at so many scriptures where I am told that He knows the plans, works everything for good, makes everything beautiful, will be my comforter, my peace, and my strength. He will take every piece of my life and put them all back together again. Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." I trust the One who knows and holds my future. I must place my faith in Him to reconstruct and reform my life and purpose, knowing it is He who holds everything together.
I am not a Lego lover. I used to hate stepping on one of those stray pieces or getting one stuck in the vacuum cleaner. They served no purpose when they were not used to build something. I am looking forward to my new adventure and trusting God to keep me out of the floor and vacuum and certainly not leave me in a pile of pieces.
I will trust Him to give me a purpose and daily opportunities to be a part of building the most wonderful life serving Him. I TRUST GOD. If you feel like your life is in pieces, your emotions are all over the place, and your purpose is not clear, let me encourage you to TRUST GOD! He has the power to pick up the pieces, hold you together, and build something amazing if you just trust Him. Ephesians 3:20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us."
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
