Story by Joe Pisani
I have retired friends who are obsessing over their investment portfolios, for good reason. They get up and go to the computer every morning and check the overseas markets. They sign in to their accounts to see how their stocks and bonds are performing. I guess a guy has to do something in retirement if he’s not painting the house.
I have other friends who spend an appreciable amount of time at the gym, trying to stay in shape so they don’t lose muscle mass in their senior years, and so their tickers will keep on ticking until their next visit to the cardiologist.
And I have friends who spend an enormous amount of time taking art appreciation classes and visiting museums. They love Caravaggio and Raphael and DaVinci. Actually, they love the Renaissance artists a lot more than they love the moderns. It’s an age thing, I suppose.
As we get older, everybody wants to “reinvent” themselves in retirement. Some of us take on new hobbies, others study a language, and still others go traveling and take one of those Viking River Cruises down the Danube to see sights they never had a chance to see when they were young.
Aging has its advantages if you look hard enough.
I recently had a reunion with two friends, whom I hadn’t seen since high school, and it was amusing to discuss how our lives had evolved after we stopped being “active friends.”
Some people stay friendly with kids they met in kindergarten, although I confess that almost everyone I knew from K-8, and from high school to college, I’ve never seen again. There were some good friendships, which sadly fell by the wayside.
However, in recent months, for one reason or another, I’ve found myself meeting people from my younger years. When I see them again, there’s really only one thing I’m interested in. After we get past the talk about kids, grandkids, careers, health and our memories of the good old days, I want to hear about their faith journey.
You see, I’ve discovered there’s something even more tragic than hearing about their health problems — it’s hearing they don’t have God in their life. They may not tell me that bluntly, but the signs are often obvious.
To get on the God topic, I’ll drop hints about going to Mass or a book I’m reading or a priest I know. Then, depending on their level of interest, or disinterest, it’s often apparent whether getting closer to God is a priority in their life. Nothing is more important than that. Not a retirement fund or a PBS membership or a class in Tuscan cooking.
I’m also convinced a shared faith is the only thing that can revive a long dormant friendship. Not a trip to the casino or a matinee on Broadway or a Patriots’ game. Sooner or later, you reach the point where you realize there’s no future friendship unless Christ is your mutual friend.
As my late father was often told when he gave up drinking and got into Alcoholics Anonymous: “You have friends you haven’t met yet.” If that’s true about recovery, it’s equally true about our life in Christ.
For one reason or another, the Holy Spirit seems to be bringing people from my past back into my present. I know it’s more than happenstance. It happens, I’m sure, either because they’re meant to help me grow in my faith or I’m meant to help them come back to the faith.
This truth often lies just below the surface, and sometimes all you have to do is mention Jesus or say the word “prayer.” They’ll either scoff, change the subject or recount a small miracle that happened to them from praying. Then, the discussion will really take off, and you’ll have no idea where it will lead, although the Holy Spirit will know.
These reunions occur for a reason. There are too many people in their later years who are still concentrating on the frivolous aspects of life instead of focusing on the one thing that truly matters — their relationship with God. Instead, they preoccupy themselves with political causes or charitable activities and hobbies. Don’t get me wrong. Those things are fine, but they’re not a substitute for a personal relationship with Christ.
Retirement gives us a perfect opportunity to grow spiritually and do things we never thought possible. One fellow I know who retired from IBM after 25 years, took a Bible study course and became so obsessed with the story of the Good Thief that he wrote a trilogy of novels about the early Christians that are under contract with a film producer. I’d be willing to bet those books are going to save a lot of souls and bring people back to Christ.
So the next time you run into a long-lost friend or family member, after you ask them about the kids, the grandkids, their health and their work, ask them about their faith … and be prepared to bring them back.