Mark Wenz
The headline above is also the subtitle of Rick Warren’s influential Christian guidebook entitled The Purpose Driven Life. Now that we’re a month into 2025, I challenge each of you to ask yourself this: If you’re not here to improve your own life and the lives of others, then why are you here?
This is not a flippant question. A retired friend of mine recently told me, “I just want to have fun, so that’s what I’m doing: having fun.” After conversing with him, I discovered that he spends no time volunteering, isn’t involved in a church (or any other organization), and spends most of his time playing golf or pickleball, traveling, and watching television. He has grandchildren who live about an hour from him, but he rarely sees them. “I spent enough time raising kids already,” he told me. Although it’s not my place to judge him, his life seems rather empty to me. Should “having fun” be one’s priority when there’s so much opportunity to share and spread love?
Thankfully, I had a good role model for a meaningful retirement, as my father, once he retired from the clergy, embraced new identities as grandfather, great-grandfather, hospice volunteer, and part-time hospital chaplain. These new roles enhanced not only his life but also the lives of others, and he taught me and my two sisters that we all have opportunities to enact positive change throughout our lives by serving. I am eternally grateful for his guidance in this matter.
Since I retired, I have also tried to serve. I have four grandchildren in town, and I joyfully spend many hours with them per week, not only to enhance my own life but also to help out my busy daughter and son-in-law. I love supporting these four lovely children in all of their endeavors (school programs, sports and dance activities, church activities), because nobody can ever receive too much support or love. I have been a hospice volunteer since 2017, and I visit a patient every week, just as my father did before me. This experience, rather than making me uncomfortable about death, has taught me that death is simply a transition from an earthly to a heavenly place. I’m also an active member of Sun Lakes Unity Church as a board member and as a regular participant in church services as a musician, reader, prayer giver, and occasional guest speaker. Our church tithes every month to worthwhile causes and supports various organizations such as Feed My Starving Children and Sunshine Acres, to name but a couple. I share my personal experiences to communicate how joyful serving can be. I am happily living a purpose-driven life, and it has immeasurably enriched my spiritual growth.
I hope that you are also living a purpose-driven life. The rewards are bountiful! We welcome all to join us at 10 a.m. on Sundays in the Arts & Crafts Room at Sun Lakes Country Club. God bless!