Nearing Home by Billy Graham (best book club books for discussion txt) 📗

and for them. When I walk through rubble left behind by a killer tornado, I remember years spent clearing debris from a construction site. Now I am able to help someone clear their mind by offering them insight from God’s Word. My life has never been so fulfilled.”

Volunteer service has become very popular in recent decades. Some companies even require employees to give so many hours a year to a volunteer agency. Better than that is when people do it because they truly have a desire to help others, not just fulfill a requirement.

Samaritan’s Purse has taken a tremendous lead in this area, offering opportunities to many from various walks of life. There are touching stories about physicians who leave their lucrative practices to help a missionary doctor for a few weeks in third world countries. Multiple thousands every year volunteer to send out shoe box gifts for children through Operation Christmas Child. One retired couple decided to spend November and December in North Carolina to work in the warehouse getting the boxes ready to ship overseas. They drove from the midwest and stayed every night in their camper so they could be ready for work the next day. They said, “As long as God enables us, we want to use our days like this. We are receiving blessing beyond measure.”

Other retirees take advantage of learning more about the Bible in their years of retirement. An older lady attended a Bible study at the Cove and said, “I never felt equipped to talk to others about the Lord, but having the opportunity to meet others who feel the same way and being encouraged in the Scriptures have given me the courage to teach others. If I hadn’t retired, I would have never explored this opportunity.”

I would encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to show you what you can do as you transition your time and talents. Get involved in your local church and other ministries that point people to Christ. This will stretch you and challenge you to grow deeper in your own faith. Take to heart what Peter wrote near the end of his life: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). In doing so, you help others do the same.

Whatever you do, keep your mind and your body occupied; don’t give laziness or boredom a chance to take root in your soul. The devil delights in someone who is idle or bored; he knows this leads to temptation or discouragement. But the person who is occupied with worthwhile activities is far less vulnerable. Remember the Bible’s admonition: “Do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27).

WORKING WITH FEWER CHOICES

Perhaps, however, you are saying to yourself, “What you suggest may be fine for other people, but I don’t have any options. It’s all I can do to keep up with the problems I’m facing, and it’s not getting any better.” We never know what the future holds for us, but God does. This is why Jesus urged us not to be paralyzed by fear of the future but to trust our lives into God’s hands: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? . . . But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:27, 33).

I often think of my father-in-law, Dr. L. Nelson Bell. For twenty-five years he and his wife, Virginia, served the people of China as medical missionaries. (My wife, Ruth, was born and grew up there.) He was one of the busiest people I ever knew—and also one of the most dedicated. One of my strongest memories of Dr. Bell was the way in which he cared for his wife after she suffered a series of debilitating strokes. She was confined to a wheelchair and required almost constant care. It would have been logical for Dr. Bell to move her out of their house and into a nursing home, but he refused. Instead he gave up almost all of his outside responsibilities and devoted himself to caring for his beloved Virginia. When someone asked him about his decision, he simply replied, “This is my calling now.”

One day you may not be able to do everything you once did or everything you would like to do. Instead of feeling guilty or frustrated or resentful, however, thank God that you can still do some things—and make it your goal to do them faithfully and do them well. Commit your time—and your whole self—to Jesus Christ, and seek to do His will no matter what comes your way.

NEARING HOME WITH HOPE

This principle is what Jesus was explaining to Peter shortly before He ascended to Heaven. The dialogue between Peter and his Lord is one of the most direct yet tender exchanges in the Gospels. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you truly love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep. . . . I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:16–18).

Jesus was predicting Peter’s death, which would occur some forty years later. Peter recalled the conversation when he wrote, “I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things” (2 Peter 1:13–15).

In the face of brutal death, this old and faithful follower of Jesus was doing what Christ commanded: care for others. While Peter was