When God Says it’s Time (Part one of the journey):

There is a journey in everyone’s life when the joy of working starts to turn to the thoughts of retiring. Everyone says; “I cannot wait until I retire”. You do not often hear about what it feels like to take that journey into the next season of your life. As I journey through this next season of my life, I feel that God wants me to share my experience and lessons of this transition.

My favorite scripture verse through my adult years has always been Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” One of the joys of having many years behind me, I can look back at my life and see all the ways God has fulfilled this scripture. How he has always directed my path in a way that I prospered and kept me out of harms way.

Throughout our life and in our culture, you are what you do. For this past season, I have been very blessed in my profession. For over 40 years I have helped non-profit professional associations provide their members the resources they need to enhance their careers. I owned my own business that gave me tremendous fulfillment and enjoyment. I was able to work with all types of individuals and within all types of professions. Over the years there have been many times that I wanted to get out of my business and do something different. God always had other plans and kept prospering me where I was. That was until 2015 – He had other plans for me now!

It was time for the next season. Psalm 1:3 says “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do they prosper.” As is inevitable with everyone, retirement age was here! How is God going to use me to yield fruit now? I remember telling my daughter multiple times, “I love what I do, and I will continue to do it until I stop loving it.” When you have a profession where you consistently help people achieve more, it brings so much joy, you do not think of stopping. This profession also had given me the opportunity to travel all over the United States, Europe, Asia and Mexico. I have been to almost every state in the United States. So why stop?

As much as I enjoyed what I did, God had other plans. I knew that I was tired of running a business. All the new employment laws, ever increasing employment taxes, the changing work ethics, and the clients demanding more work for less money just wore me out. God blessed me by providing a buyer for my company that would take over the day-to-day operations. I was able to concentrate on working with my non-profit clients which is what I loved to do. Who would not want to continue under these circumstances? Over the many years of owning the business, why now did I feel discouraged, tired and ready to quit?

God was beginning the process of changing my mindset to retiring. He was ready to use me in other ways for His kingdom. I began to see what it was like to not be totally in charge! Isaiah 28:29 says “All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.”

My plan was to merge my business with another company like mine to expand our reach. This would also keep me in charge of the business. As many of us have said throughout our life – God had other plans! Due to tax reasons, our companies could not merge, one of us had to buy out the other. I was very happy to give up control of the areas I was no longer excited about, so I was bought out. The new owner, however, was not ready to let me fade into the sunset! While I no longer had the final say in operations, I still was involved on a major level for two years according to our buyout agreement.

God’s amazing plan was beginning to unfold. From my emotional standpoint, the challenges were just beginning. My ego was about to take a big hit! While I did not like the “person” I had become under all the pressure of meeting client, staff, government and family needs, I was not prepared for how I would emotionally feel when I began to release control. After 28 years of being the final decision maker, staff was now going to the new owner without even consulting me! The new owner was giving direction without even consulting me! I was starting to learn a lesson on humility. It was very difficult for me to accept this part of my new position. I discovered why it is not an ordinary practice for a previous owner to stay working for the new owner. Conflicts of style as well as control were at the forefront of my emotional state. You cannot just turn off like a light switch how you act in your work environment. I was also experiencing what it was like to be an “employee”. Something I had not been for over 28 years. Throughout this phase of my career transition, I was forced to rely heavily on my relationship with God and Him reminding me who He made me to be.

I became aware that as part of God’s plan for my life, he had to change my perspective of who I am and how I act/react to those around me. I was no longer what I did for a living. My scripture verse for this phase of God’s transition in my life became 1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” I knew that these feelings of not being in control were going to be hard to fight. I could only accomplish success in changing my emotions by surrendering them and who I thought I was to God.

And so it begins; God fulfilling his word in my life: Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In the changing of a season, it is not easy. When God starts to mold you and shape you in a new way, it is very painful, but the growth is amazing. However, He is not done with me yet! There is more to the changes He has for me in this new season.

(Stay tuned for the next installment)

Dorothy Shadrick is a volunteer leader and faithful member of Renovate Church. Along with helping to plan and lead events for all ministries, she is an integral member of Renovate’s welcome team, a capable teacher, and an incredible servant leader in women’s ministries.