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Expect the Unexpected — The twists and turns of retirement can be stressful. But one Thrivent Financial member has found the perfect coping mechanisms: faith and prayer.
By Katrina Shawver
 Your working days are behind you. Now you have time to visit your grandchildren, putter around the garage, travel the globe—and experience a vast new array of stressors. Stress? In your Golden Years? For more and more retirees, the answer is yes. According to Dr. Beverly Yahnke, executive director of Christian Counseling Services in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, “Stress affects every age group, from age 4 to 80-plus.”
The cause for all this stress? “There seems to be no shortage of things to fret about,” Yahnke says. “Troubled relationships are what bring many adults into counseling. It is very tempting to keep trying to be all, do all, and fix all, all by ourselves—until we are all done in. When we try to do everything, we have lost sight of what it is that God teaches us.”
A Stressful Retirement
John Califf, 67, a Thrivent Financial for Lutherans member and immediate past president of the West Rock Island County, Illinois, Thrivent Chapter, has kept his eyes trained on God’s teachings his entire life. He credits his family, his minister and an early camp director who mentored him as a youth for his strong faith in God. “It’s hard to articulate. My faith comes naturally,” he says. “Everything I do comes from my faith. In all situations, I’m motivated by the trust that while I may not understand things, things happen the way God intended.”
Califf experienced firsthand a stress factor that many retirees face: dealing with the unforeseen. “We begin retirement with a plan or vision,” he says, “until unexpected change happens when least expected.”
After working for the Lutheran Church his entire life in various social service capacities, Califf and his wife, Nancy, eagerly prepared for retirement. Califf loves to travel and Educational Opportunities Tours, a worldwide Christian travel agency, contacted him to be a part-time director of travel ministry for Illinois Lutherans.
One of the first trips he hosted was to the Middle East in September 2001. He and his group were airborne over Egypt on Sept. 11, 2001. The events of that day devastated the travel industry, and the Califfs' plans to do travel ministry were temporarily derailed.
Then another door opened for the couple when John was offered the position of executive director of the Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Center in Oregon, Illinois. “I ran the 650-acre property that served as a year-round summer camp and retreat center,” he says. “Though I was told there were problems, the problems were understated. The job became a stressful three-year assignment to turn the camp around.”
It was a task made all the more challenging when many of the roads that led into the camp were washed away just as camping season was to begin. “The odds seemed overwhelming,” Califf recalls. “But I got on the phone and raised $65,000 in two weeks, which was the minimal amount needed to do road constructions and repairs. I still recall one of the staff members who came into my office after that flood. She said, ‘It has been duly noted by the staff that you have not run out the back door.’”
 Bolstered by God
Califf’s 40-year career in management had taught him a thing or two about handling any crisis, even while dreaming of a relaxing retirement.
First and foremost, Califf relies on prayer. He prays daily for guidance from the Holy Spirit. Next, Califf always divides the problem into smaller pieces and then prioritizes what needs to be done first. And when he’s ready to execute his plan, Califf actively seeks help. He knows his problems can’t be solved by one person.
Perhaps most important, Califf’s decisions have always been based on the belief and constant faith that God is behind him every day. He loves the metaphor of storms, as when Jesus calmed the storm. “We all face storms in our lives,” Califf says. “Certainly if Jesus could rebuke the winds and calm the waves, God can help calm the storms in our own lives.”
And what about those tours that Califf was so eager to organize and lead in his retirement? Califf kept the part-time position with the Travel Ministry. To date, he has hosted eight trips, with more planned. In November 2006, Califf will host a trip through Greece and Turkey, following in the footsteps of the apostle Paul during his second and third missionary trips.
The trips hardly seem like work for this man of faith. By using his management skills, heart for people and passion for visiting new places, Califf is enjoying a God-centered retirement—with all its inherent twists and turns.
Freelance writer Katrina Shawver lives in Phoenix. Her writing has appeared frequently in The Arizona Republic for the past 10 years.
5 Ways to Cope With Worry
1. Take Care of Your Physical Self. You are special and worthy of care. Eat well, get plenty of sleep and be active. Take your grandchildren to the park. Enjoy nightly walks with your spouse or a neighbor. Even 15 daily minutes of brisk activity helps release stress-fighting chemicals and ease tension.
2. Take Care of Your Spiritual Self. Pray. Make quiet time each day. Give thanks for the blessings you do have. Choose joy.
3. Take Care of Your Social Self. Even when you’re at your lowest, God does not intend for us to be alone or entirely self-focused. Accept the support God sends you through other people. Why not volunteer for a service project?
4. Seek Solace in the Word. Read stories of God helping people triumph over their troubles by turning to Isaiah 40:31; Matthew 8:23-27; Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 8:28; I Thessalonians 5:16-24; and Philippians 4:13.
5. Seek Professional Counseling. If you begin to feel demoralized, utterly overwhelmed, feel you can’t go on or have thoughts of hurting yourself or others, seek help immediately. Waiting and worrying do nothing to promote health or positive change.
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