Cancellation and Completion

I cancelled a flight this week. A major airline has been re-calling hundreds of its planes for inspections and thereby stranding thousands of passengers in airports far from home. I couldn’t take a chance, needing to be back at home at exactly the time printed on my return flight itinerary. How did my calendar get so full anyway? Why is it that I needed to get back at a specific time so I could leave again at another specific time? Somehow I thought retirement would be less busy, less demanding. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not ready to sit in a rocking chair all day, every day. But I did envision a slightly less-demanding schedule. My cancellation didn’t leave anyone else disadvantaged. Conference phone calls often serve as an adequate replacement. Maybe I need to make more conference calls and fewer flight arrangements. Even with these issues, this much I can affirm: “He who has begun a good work . . . will complete it” (Phil. 1:6) and I’m totally committed to “completion.” While retirement brings changes, the “work” continues. For one thing, I’m praying more now before saying “yes” to invitations. That can’t be a bad thing, can it?