Let me provide for you a rather dramatic situation that I think helps clarify the issue of vocation for a latter stage of life. What if, because of illness, stroke, or accident, etc. you found yourself with limited physical mobility but your mind was not impaired, how would you respond?
The Reformed faith has long held that we are all called by God. God is sovereign and therefore not constrained to those who are ordained and in active ministry. So that means that not only the banker or the garbage collector also has a call from God, but also the retired person or the physically impaired person has a call from God. We also believe that our calls change as our life changes.
Therefore God’s call does not end with retirement or even physical impairment. In each circumstance that we find ourselves, or as Paul states it in Romans 8:28 “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” (RSV) So to return to the predicament that I sketched out for you, what would your call be in a circumstance where your body was weak but your mind was active? I quite honestly confess that my first response would probably be that it would leave me in deep depression. Yet I don’t believe that God is defeated or my call shut down, so what would it be?
I want to work on my understanding of God’s call before I confront such a dramatic change in my life, because it is learning to trust God in all circumstances. This may never happen to me but significant changes in my life and a reduction of activity and objective accomplishments will occur if I am blessed to continue this earthly life and I want to be open to God’s call in each of those circumstances.
