I retired in June, 2017. For the next year-and-a-half, I enjoyed working around our new home every day: putting in a lawn, landscaping, building a garage [with Troy], and just general ‘other’ stuff.
Then, I found myself watching the news for several hours every morning – which led to feelings of depression. One day, I simply said to Debbie, “This has to change!” A month later, I started to drive for Lyft and have enjoyed it for five-and-a-half years. In July, I lost that job.
Since then I tried being a Spark driver, but it doesn’t seem to be working for me. So, it seems to be ‘transition time’. Deb is leaning hard on me to just retire again.
The idea is not offensive to me. I’ve dreamed of being able to write daily. I also have a ‘to-do’ list that I never seem to be able to get around ‘to-doing’ 😆.
If we do this, our lives will change rather dramatically. The loss of income will demand strict adherence to a budget!
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TRANSITIONS!
We all face them! They tend to require focus and determination. Transitions bring rewards and sometimes challenges.
o My FIRST transition was leaving home in 1969, to live with my brother in Philadelphia and work on a roofing crew! I lived in his attic for three months, worked hard every day, made decisions about the money I was making, and exercised some independence in managing my time.
o My SECOND transition was heading for Roberts Wesleyan College that fall to start my undergraduate studies. This introduced a whole new wave of novelties: cafeteria meals, living in a dormitory, having a roommate, attending classes, studying, exams, papers, balancing social life, cleaning bathrooms (a part-time job), and eventually working at UPS and doing weekend night-watch to increase my income! [There was also a stint when I gave breaks at Chili Plastics from 2:30-4:30 AM!!!!!]. 🙄
o My THIRD transition was getting married in August, 1973 (after graduating). Debbie and I immediately moved to Wilmore, Kentucky, where I was enrolled at Asbury Theological Seminary. A whole lot of good came with this transition! J
· Seminary life!
· Our first apartment.
· Gathering furnishings.
· Classes, study, papers, exams – again!
· Working at UPS – again!
· We moved three times during those three years! A harbinger of things to come!
· My last two years I began ‘student-pastoring’ a small church in English, Indiana, on weekends!
o Then came our FOURTH, huge transition in 1976! Our bicentennial baby was born and Travis Wilson Haire became a huge part of our lives! What fun that was!
o Our FIFTH transition was moving to Harrison City, PA, and pastoring the Jeannette Free Methodist Church. It was 1976. Travis was six months old. We lived in a 70’ mobile home behind the church [The winters of ’76 & ’77 were brutally cold and snowy!] I made $100/week. The congregation had just built a brand new sanctuary, but had divided in the process. They had an enormous debt of over $70,000 – and about forty people! Yet before we left – two years later – the numbers had doubled!
o Our SIXTH transition was moving to McClellandtown, PA, in 1978. This ended up being a major period of change since it was while here that Troy William Haire and Tracie Elizabeth Haire joined our family! Debbie became a VERY BUSY, young mother! McClellandtown was a coal-patch-town. It was very small and the congregation averaged around seventy people. We had two dogs while there: Rock, my coon-hound, and Chipoo, a fun little Chihuahua/poodle mix. Again, significant growth occurred during these four years.
o Our SEVENTH transition set us up for a fairly long season in East Liverpool, OH. I was appointed to the Oakland FMC in 1982, at the age of thirty. Travis started and finished school during our thirteen years at Oakland – lucky for a ‘PK’! I was driving to Pittsburgh 3-4 times/week to attend classes at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to finish my Master of Divinity degree. During these years, the church grew from seventy to over two-hundred. I also acquired a Masters degree in Counseling at the Franciscan University of Steubenville [full-time for two years while leading a growing church]. Debbie watched kids in our home and then when Troy and Tracie began school – she worked as a teller at a credit union. These were rewarding, growing, busy, and fascinating years! We travelled across Ohio following the sporting activities of Troy and Tracie and the East Liverpool Christian School. Travis left home during this transition to attend college.
o Our EIGHTH transition included a major move away from the Pittsburgh Conference to Spencerville, MD, where I became pastor of a small-but-stable church. I needed a rest after all the educational pursuits and stress of leading a growing church! Travis quit school after one semester and joined the Navy! After being enlisted for a year-and-a-half, he ended up at the Naval Academy which was 26 miles from our new home! He came to visit on lots of weekends since we were just within the limits of his travel restrictions! I think that helped him survive the stresses of his ‘Plebe year’! The church responded to our leadership and began to grow! However, a family crisis arose that caused us to make one of the hardest decisions of our lives. I quit at the church mid-year and we moved back to live on the farm with Deb’s folks. We needed a loving environment to coddle us as we healed our family! It was late fall, 1998. After a few weeks, friends provided an apartment for us in Chester, WV. For months we had no income. We managed to buy each of our kids one gift for Christmas that year. When Travis came home, he took Troy and Tracie out to buy a small Christmas tree and a few decorations. [All our furniture and belongings were stored in the garage of the parsonage in Spencerville.] It was a hard time!
o Our NINTH transition became an amazing blessing! After months of being told that I was ‘over-qualified’ for jobs, we were hired by a social-serving agency in Akron, OH, where we ran a licensed home for behaviorally-challenged children in Summit County! They provided the home and a healthy income! We attended the Cornerstone Church where a couple we knew from Asbury were leading this growing congregation! Charlie Young had become Ohio Conference Superintendent and Brenda was now leading the church (of over 400)! Within weeks, I was hired as a part-time associate. By June, I became the Lead Associate Pastor. During the next five years, the church grew to well over 700! It was an incredible time of learning, excitement, development and financial recovery! Fruitful years! Troy and Tracie both launched their independence during these years!
o Our TENTH transition involved a painful departure from Cornerstone, but an adventurous [and somewhat shocking] beginning in New Middletown, OH, where I began leading Free Methodist Community Church! After a rough start, the church responded wonderfully to our leadership! Within three years the growth began, taking us from a congregation of seventy to eventually bouncing over two hundred! Many new converts! Exciting and innovative programs and involvement! Debbie thoroughly enjoyed her job of working with Cindy Marchese in the Springfield Local School District! We lived in the parsonage on the church property from June, 2003, until June, 2012. Tracie and Troy were each married during this season: 2005 and 2012 respectively. We welcomed Jon Kerstetter and Missy Noel to our family! Tracie and Jon also gave us two wonderful grandchildren during this time: Rylie Grace (2007) and Coltin Eugene (2009). J
o Our ELEVENTH transition was undoubtedly our BIGGEST! In late August, 2012, we left for three years in the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China! We taught English at the Changchun University of Science and Technology! I don’t dare start talking about this experience here; it deserves a book [yet to be written]. 😉
o Transition number TWELVE was HARD! Upon returning to America, we had no home, no income, no cars, and we were struggling with reverse culture shock! I, particularly, felt lost! We lived in a trailer at the farm in Enon Valley for over a year – courtesy of Debbie’s brother, Walt (and his wife, Lyn). I was appointed back to the Pittsburgh Conference to serve the Kittanning, PA FMC as a part-time-commuting pastor. I began in September, 2015. In October, Travis died! We were devastated! Then, on Christmas night, Deb’s dad – Ken Whippo – died! We were overwhelmed with grief! In spite of these losses, we secured a lot at Heron Woods in 2016, bought a manufactured home and had it placed on the lot. It’s our home to the current day! I retired in June, 2017 – being a commuting pastor just wasn’t working - although the church had been growing. A year-and-a-half later, I began to work for Lyft.
o And now we’re facing transition THIRTEEN! I hope it’s not unlucky! 😂 It will certainly have its challenges, especially in the area of finances. However, the ONE who has accompanied us all along the way, will not leave us! Perhaps He has a plan that we can’t see yet? No one knows what tomorrow holds. We’ll cling to Him and take joy from the journey! You do the same!
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