Stuff That Matters In Life

After I finished reading The Life You’ve Always Wanted by by John Ortberg last year, I wanted to read If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, as recommended by Nat. But I don’t spend money to buy books (I read what I can borrow from people or from the library.)

Then lo and behold, a few weeks ago, I saw the book on my son’s bookshelf. I’m going through it slowly because there are many principles in there that I am thinking through. I highly recommend it.

As I am facing “mid-life crisis” at this stage of my life, Page 49 was very relevant to me. “From the story of the talents we learn that heaven will be nothing at all like an eternal retirement village. In fact, heaven will be that place where we finally experience the fullness of adventure, creativity, and fruitfulness we were made for.”

What has been bothering me as I approach the last 1/3 to 1/4 of my life is the feeling that I haven’t done enough, and I’ve failed in some of my endeavors. With only 20 good years left, there is not enough time left in my life to do much more.

Ortberg’s insight into the parable of the talents says that though the servants were given quite a vast sum to invest – one servant was given 5 talents, a talent was in the neighborhood of 15 years’ wages – this was considered just a few things.

There is much more to come.

Matthew 25 says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”

One of the things I want to do in this world is to have a foundation where I can give money away to Christian ministries that have a small niche but not well funded. While everything is possible, unless God intervenes, I don’t think I’ll be able to realize this dream. I don’t think I can make several millions in the next few years (if you have any ideas for me to do this, legally, please let me know and we can joint venture.)

Now I realize that no matter how much money I can give away, or how much I do in this world, it will be considered just a few things compared to what God has for me to do later. I don’t have to try to do it all here on earth. In heaven, there will be more to do, and most likely greater likelihood of success.

Being the youngest in my family, I’ve always felt young because my brothers and sisters are there to take care of me. Even now, I look to them that way. I’ve never felt like I’m grown up.

I am glad that growing old on earth doesn’t mean I will be retired in heaven. It will be a place where I will experience the fullness of adventure, creativity, and fruitfulness. I will still be young.

It would make sense for us to continue to use the talents God has given us. Using them on earth is merely the beginning, a test of our faithfulness.

Now with the new insight into the relative small amount that I’ve been given on earth and that I can be “young” again and do more in heaven, I am beginning to accept the fact that I am getting older…just beginning to…