There have been very
few times where I skipped to the last page to read the ending of the book. And
those very few times I did that, I actually regretted it. I had to then go all
the way back to the beginning to push through the novel to see how the events
lead up to the ending that I already knew. It is a huge spoiler. Some people
like to know the road ahead of a novel or movie then some run to cover their
ears when people try to tell them the ending to a movie they have already seen.
But isn’t knowing more information a good thing? It is helpful to know what is
to come and to be able to prepare for it. What if there is to be no preparation
time?
Growing up I had the
mind of a typical little girl. I had the most ridiculous and awesome princess
hat. It was one of those tall pointy ones that looked like a huge snow cone
that medieval princesses would wear. I loved that thing because well it was
pink and sparkly plus it had ribbons and a sheer train coming out of the top.
Thinking of it now, I kind of wished I still had that cause well…who doesn’t want
to feel like a princess!!?? I would wear that thing around with fake high heels
to make me feel like I was on top of the world as a princess. Just thinking
that I could one day be a princess gave me the sense that I would fulfill the
feeling of “having it all”. Then I got older and realized that even princesses
see that life past the crown may not be all it says it is.
Clearly being a
princess isn’t quite the fad nowadays but being a singer or actor may be. I
also had an awesome karaoke machine that I would absolutely love to sing into.
And I really have loved to sing all of my life because it makes me feel as if I
have something I can use to go beyond myself. I always thought as a child that
I would be able to be able to stand up on stage and get the things I wanted. To
be famous would be the best thing in the world and I could work with Ariel and
the creators of the Disney movies. Man that was the dream… and then the reality
of life later one. These things would still be awesome dreams come true as a
young adult but a lot less harder because I have the aspect of reality starring
me in the face. The time and effort to learn musical instruments to go into the
Christian music industry is taxing and quite frankly, a slap in the face. It
will still remain a dream of mine and hopefully it comes true in the very near
future but as I look back on not only my childhood but my life as it grows is
that I put a lot of focus on one thing.
I always thought that there were so many
things that I could experience and I have so little time to do so. Trying to
make all my dreams come true at once has caused me to skimp out on my
aspirations. But then I considered something I never stopped to think about. If
I spend all of my time with a narrow view towards things I want for this life
and actually achieve them I will have an awesome amount of excitement. The
willingness and ability of what I have achieved will be such a relief to have.
It would be kind of life Christmas though. Months of celebration and season
greetings lead up to it and Christmas day is just awesome. You get to celebrate
the day of your savior as well as spending time with family and festivities all
day. That night settles down and the next day comes as a huge depressor. Sure
you have your gifts to play with or the vacation to look forward to but the
hype is gone. You saw the amount of fulfillment there was and pushed towards it
then there was nothing but reality on the other side.
I
found myself not only doing this as a child but now, every single day. I set
awesome road marks in my life and of course I hope to fulfill them but I find myself
consuming myself with just that. Looking forward to those things are not a bad
thing in anyway but I found that I had not created mountains for my present
day. Waiting to live is probably one of the worst things we could do. And the
second worst thing we could do is build it up so much that none of the effects
extend beyond its arrival. Christ calls us to find joy after the excitement. For if we create milestones to just
be reached and then passed then what good have they done to our lives? Why look
forward to something so much to only watch it pass without leaving any evidence
that it impacted your life?
I
challenge you to go out a make two sided mountains for yourself. One that looks
beautiful as you approach it. That has an awesome journey reaching it and an
impact while climbing it. With so much excitement and things to look forward to
but also one you can outstretch your arms at the top. That will be exciting and
unknowing to climb down the back and experience the same thing all over again
within the
excitement of your life.
The God-Given Task
“What gain has the worker from his toil? I
have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to
be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart,
yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the
end (What a beautiful mystery!). I perceived that there is nothing better
for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that
everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's
gift to man. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing
can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people
fear before him. That which is, already has been;
that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven
away.”
~Ecclesiastes
3:9-15~
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