Three Years Ago Today Our Lives Changed Forever

Sunday, 3.22.13

I woke up on this Sunday morning three years ago thinking this would be a normal day in my life.  It was not to be.

Things went normal for the first few hours.  I woke up about 4am.  Spent time in some prayer, meditation, writing and planning for my day of teaching about Jesus all day Sunday which I had been doing most all Sundays since April 1, 1969.

I had enjoyed a long and healthy and busy life doing the job I wanted to do.  Preaching, teaching, writing and encouraging people to follow Jesus.  Who could be more blessed?  I was the luckiest man in the world on this day.

The 8am meeting with the elders and staff was normal.
The 9am worship prep time was normal.
The 9.30 class time was normal.
The 10.30 am worship service was normal.

The 11.30am time frame was a bit unusual as someone had given some flowers to the church to pass along to people that might be encouraged with them.  I went downstairs and got to sets of flowers.  I didn't even know who I was going to give them to.

On the way home in the Spring time snow of Denver Sheila and I decided who we would give them to.

One of our neighbors, Terri, the mother of one of the persons murdered in the Aurora Theater Shooting.

Susan, a neighbor and friend who was not feeling well.  She normally attended church with us but couldn't on this day.

Took the flowers to Terri.  Rang the bell to Terri's door and she answered and thanked me for the flowers.  I told her that many of our friends and many from church were  praying for her and her family.  She said that they had felt this prayer support.  Great.

Then we drove in the garage on the drive way covered with snow.  Got out of the car and instead of walking on the snow I walked on the car tracks that were now packed ice.  I slipped and my body went up in the air and my feet above my body and then before I came down my left knee in a bent position was under my body.  I felt no pain.  I assumed I could get up and continue my journey.  My left leg below the knee did not move at all.   My neighbor, Jerry, was watching all this and ran over as did Sheila to help.  They couldn't even get me up.  911 was called.  ER.  Surgery in a few days.  No movement up any stairs for six weeks.

This Sunday three years ago our lives changed.  On that day 3 years ago Sheila and I said to each other in the ER that this was what we call "the precipitating event".   No more stairs.  No more running around at 55 miles an hour in our work.  Finally retirement and slow down has come.

In the next three months we had a very smooth transition process.  We sold our house in Denver where we had lived for 33 years.  We bought a house in North Richland Hills Texas nearby our son Jeff and his wife Donna.  We enjoyed attending our 50th High School reunion.  We moved from going 55 miles an hour to 15 miles an hour. 
In year one of retirement we settled into our home and got engaged in our senior center workout place on a daily basis.  I bought the wrong recliner.  We gave it to our son and daughter.  We moved up to going 20 miles per hour. 
In year two of retirement we moved out into some additional volunteer ministry projects that we had dreamed of doing.  We took several trips around Texas to visit family and friends and attend some graduations etc.  My wife bought and gifted me with the perfect recliner/laptop desk.  We moved up to going 25 miles per hour.
In year three of retirement we have taken some time to go to Atlanta and support Amy in her work with the sports and school things of her two busy boys.  We have added some additional friends and activities.  We moved up to going 30 miles per hour.

So our lives changed radically on this day three years ago.  "Retirement" is slowing down and doing the things that you can do that you will give good health to you and others.  It is to reduce negative stress and overstress into a range of good stretch and stress.

We miss our Denver family and friends.  We have kept our friends from Denver.  Several of them have come to visit us in Texas and we enjoyed this.  We returned for a wedding anniversary.  We will be forever grateful for these who became like family to us.

We have enjoyed being closer to our kids and grandkids and our sibs and nephews and nieces and cousins who live in Texas and especially the 100 or so in the DFW area.  We have also enjoyed having more time and motivation to think and pray and write through letters, cards and social media.

Three years ago our life changed.  We wouldn't have asked for it to have happened this way but it has turned out good for us.  God causes "all things to work together for those who love Him."  God is a good, good Father.  I am still the luckiest man in the world.

Larry Wishard