Now That I Have the Time

Issue #001 | November 2026

Hello,

It's been about two months since I retired, and I'm discovering that having more time doesn't necessarily mean knowing what to do with it.

For years, my days were shaped by going to work, responsibilities, and schedules. Like so many people, I looked forward to the day when my time would finally be my own.

One of the things I especially wanted to do in retirement was spend more time with God.

I imagined reading and studying my Bible, attending Mass during the week, and spending a quiet hour in Adoration.

It sounded so simple. After all, I finally had the time.

But I'm beginning to discover that having the time and learning how to use it are two different things.

After years of getting up and going somewhere every day, there's something rather wonderful about not having to get back into the car. I can stay home, enjoy the quiet, and move through the day without watching the clock.

And yet, I find myself thinking about those things I said I wanted to do.

Why haven't I gone to Mass during the week?

Why haven't I spent that hour in Adoration?

It's not that I don't want to. I do.

Perhaps I'm still adjusting to this new chapter of my life. Perhaps I need to learn how to make room for the things that matter most.

I don't have the answers yet.

What I do know is that my desire to grow closer to God hasn't changed. And maybe that's where I need to begin.

Not with a perfect schedule or a long list of things I should be doing, but with that desire.

I can open my Bible today. I can sit quietly for a few minutes and pray. And perhaps tomorrow I'll get in the car and spend that hour with Jesus.

I'm learning that retirement isn't simply the end of working. It's the beginning of discovering what to do with the time I've been given.

And I suspect that discovery will take a little while.

A Little Seed to Carry With You

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

Maybe sometimes we need to learn how to be still before we learn where to go next.

Until next time, may we each find a little more room for God in our ordinary days.

One Seed at a Time,