After over 30 years of working, I retired from banking in July of 2021. I really never felt fully satisfied with what I was doing. Some days were pretty tough. My wonderful husband would help me get through those days. I was always grateful to be working, but I felt like something was missing. I felt like there was something more for me to do.
I’ve been attending PCC for over 10 years, and I’ve learned a lot. I love listening to the messages and hearing about God. But for many years, I walked in the doors with a mask on. Nobody knew me and I never really talked to anyone but the same three or four people each week. I really consider myself an introvert. I smiled on the outside, but on the inside, I was dealing with a lot of difficult issues that I just tried to handle on my own.
When I retired, I realized that I had been feeling very empty. Although I was going to church, I was missing a real relationship with God. I wanted to get to know Him and be more like Jesus. I knew I needed God in my life to be with me and help me through difficult situations.
Retirement gave me the gift of time. I set out to improve my relationship with God. I started going for walks and enjoying all the beauty around me and talking to God. I would also sit on my deck in the quiet to read. Health and fitness is very important to me, and now I have the time to concentrate on that as well. Spending time with God made me thirsty for more. I wanted to spend more and more time with God.
Over time, as my relationship with God improved, I noticed that my life started to change as well. I found so much joy with God! Hearing from God is how I start my day. I know that He’s always right there with me.
As I’ve gotten to know God, I’ve also begun learning how to pray boldly and ask boldly for the smallest prayer or the biggest prayer. God helped me find that calm place within myself. A sentence that I try to keep in mind is “I don’t have because I haven’t asked.” This helps me remember to go to God in prayer with every situation in my life, no matter how big or small.
This past year, as I was shopping for Christmas gifts, I lost my favorite pair of gloves. I’ve had those gloves for over 10 years and loved them so much. When I got home and realized I didn’t have them, I was so upset! I prayed for God to help me. “Oh God, please help me find those gloves!” Then I called the store to see if someone had turned them in. The answer was no.
I ended up calling seven more times that day. As I kept calling and kept hearing that no, my gloves had not been found, I resigned myself to the possibility of not finding them. Maybe someone needed them more than I did. But still, I kept calling.
On the eighth call, I finally heard the words I was hoping to hear: “We found your gloves!” I was so happy! I went right out to pick them up, stopping to pick up some donuts to take to the employees. When I got there, they asked me why the gloves were so important that I would keep looking for them, keep hoping to find them. I told them that some things are just special – those gloves were special to me. And I was so glad to have them back! 
When my gloves were returned to me, I was in awe! I knew God was speaking to me. My heart was racing and I felt God telling me that He was right there with me. God has promised so many things to us. He promised to provide for us, to love us and know the desires of our hearts. I was so shocked that He provided this answer to prayer. In that moment, God showed me that He doesn’t just care about big things. He cares about the small things as well.
I still don’t know yet what God wants me to do in my retirement, but I do know that He has a plan for me. I have dreams in my head, and I am confident that He will lead me in the way He wants me to go. God is really God! He is so good. I trust Him with the big and small things alike. Something as simple as finding my gloves cemented the fact that God really does hear prayers. He does for me, and He will for you, too.
God can do anything!
