My Day (with the emphasis on "My")

   So, I set my self up yesterday to have to finish what I started. I will admit that I did think about my motivations as I went through my daily activities, but I did not change them from what I would have done on a normal day. Let's see what happened, and if there is something to be gained from the study.

   The first thing that I try to do every morning, either before breakfast or after, or split around this eating time, is to take some time, usually about 2 hours, to look at a Scripture passage, reflect on how it intersects with my life, and then write on my responses. I find that I do this because I want to. I look forward to the quiet time, the study, the meditation on the words, and the journalling. I know that it is profitable for me, and that God honors that private time. Yesterday I did this between 7 and 8, then had breakfast, then studied again from 9 to 10.

   Mayre Lou had set aside some shopping time with a friend, so, after she left, I went to ride my bike for an hour or so. The weather is great right now, the outdoors are the best place to be, and I needed the exercise. Why do I ride? Exercise, sure, but I also like the quiet time to think and plan. I do not ride hard, just steady, and, since the roads and bike paths are not crowded, I can let my thoughts go where they will. There is also something in me that says that I can still ride, somewhat like I used to in days gone by. It may hurt more later, but I can still do it. A little pride there?

   The other major activity of the day was walking 9 holes, partly alone and partly with a friend who caught up with me as I played. Again there is the exercise, the sense that I can still hit some good shots, combined with the interaction with a kindred soul around a game that we both enjoy. Sounds like another thing that I do because I like to.

   Between those major activities, Mayre Lou and I ate our meals, sat on the porch, went to the store and did our household chores. I also checked my email, caught the news on the computer and read on my Kindle. Pretty much I just do what I want to, because I had the time to do it.

   So, what does all of that tell me? Except for helping my wife with beds and dishes and food preparation, most everything else was for me. Well, maybe I did help my friend find his ball in the woods and water, but that was incidental. My daily life is filled with "me" and very little "you".

   I start my days off with God and try to gain some insight or direction for my life, and that is good, but perhaps I need to let that direction permeate my daily activities in a much more meaningful way. Retirement should not just be about me.