Retirement Rocks: A 14-Day Reading Plan for All That Free TimeSample

Mary glanced around her backyard and groaned.

"Well, what do you think?" her husband asked as he rested against the handle of his shovel.

What did she think? Should she really tell him? Her once-pristine yard was now filled with blank patches of soil where Sonny planned to grow gardens. Lots of gardens, apparently. In the thirty-eight years they’d been married, the man had never once planted anything. Now it was all he could talk about.

“I think it’s . . .” Be nice, Mary. “It’s a blank canvas for your project. I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of fun out here, honey.” She offered what she hoped would look like an encouraging smile, but on the inside she wondered if, perhaps, he’d lost his marbles.

“We’re going to have fun.” Sonny flashed a wide grin and grabbed his shovel. “I can’t wait for that new box garden to get here. Want to help me put it together? It’ll be a great project.”

“S–sure.” She fought the temptation to shrug. Gardening was the last thing on her mind right now. Didn’t Sonny see that she would rather be inside working on her quilting project?

Nope. Judging from the mischievous look in his eyes, he wanted her to play along. She would give it a try. Perhaps, in the end, she would grow to love gardening as much as quilting. And, she thought, it’s never too late to try something new. Mary walked over, picked up a shovel, smiled at Sonny, and joined in the digging.

Maybe you can relate. You’re in that fun season of life where everything seems new and fresh. Projects you’ve wanted to tackle for years (and projects you never thought you wanted to tackle) are now possible.

Be like Sonny and Mary. Dive right in. Give a new hobby a chance. Have fun digging that garden. There are plenty of hobbies to discover during this phase of your life, after all. And look at it this way—if your latest great idea doesn’t pan out, so what? You will have had an adventure trying something new. And there are plenty of other things to try should this gig not work out as you’re hoping.

I’m ready for fun, new challenges, Lord! Set my mind free to imagine the possibilities! Amen.