September 25
Still Here
for a Reason
"I once was young, and now I’m old. But I’ve never seen godly people deserted. I’ve never seen their children begging for bread."
Psalm 37:25 (NIrV)
Eric had always believed that when he retired, life would slow down in a peaceful way. Mornings with coffee, afternoons in the garden, evenings with his wife, Sarah. But now, months into retirement, he felt like a man without purpose.
The days dragged. He wandered around the house, rearranging tools in the garage that didn’t need arranging, flicking through channels without caring what was on. Sarah, who had once looked forward to this season of life with him, was growing frustrated. "Eric, you’re getting under my feet," she sighed one afternoon as he hovered in the kitchen while she prepared dinner. "Go find something to do."
He tried. He really did. But every attempt—joining a walking group, volunteering at church—felt empty. A lifetime of work had defined him, and now, without it, he felt useless. It seemed like he was just waiting. Waiting for what, exactly? Maybe for God to take him home.
One evening, as he sat in his armchair staring at nothing, Sarah sat beside him. “What’s really going on?” she asked gently.
Eric exhaled. “I just don’t know why I’m still here. I’ve worked. I’ve raised my kids. I’ve done my part. Now what? I feel... forgotten.”
Sarah took his hand. “Eric, do you think God makes mistakes? That He keeps people here for no reason?”
He didn’t answer.
That night, as he lay in bed, he reached for his Bible—the one that had gathered dust on the nightstand. He flipped through the pages until his eyes landed on Psalm 37:25. I once was young, and now I’m old. But I’ve never seen godly people deserted.
Deserted. That’s what he had felt. Like God had no more use for him. But the verse said otherwise. God had never abandoned His people before—so why would He start now?
He closed his eyes. Lord, if I still have breath in my lungs, then You still have a purpose for me. Help me see it.
The next morning, he woke with something different in his heart. Maybe small, maybe uncertain, but it was there—a hope that he wasn’t done yet. Maybe life wasn’t about what he had done but about what he could still do.
He picked up his phone and dialed the church. “I’d like to volunteer again,” he said. “I think I have more to give.”
And just like that, waiting turned into living.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank You for never abandoning us, no matter our age or stage in life.
When we feel lost or without purpose, remind us that as long as we have breath, You have a plan.
Help us to trust in Your timing and see the opportunities You place before us.
Give us the strength to step into them, knowing that we are never forgotten in Your eyes.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
