The story of Joshua begins at the end of the story of Moses. I've always wondered what Moses thought when God brought him to the very edge of the promised land and said, (my paraphrase), "You've done a good job Moses getting the people out of Egypt, protecting them for 40 years in the wilderness. See, this is the land that I've been promising to you and the people. However, you, Moses, can see the land but it is not yours to take the people there."
Deut. 34:4 says, "The Lord said to him, 'This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, "I will give it to your descendants"; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."
I wonder how Moses felt to come so far but not get to reap the rewards. Would Moses have acted differently his entire life if he knew he would not get to the Promised Land? I've been thinking a lot these days about what it means to invest yourself in a vision that is larger than yourself, a vision that when it comes to fruition you won't even be here to appreciate it. One example is building generational wealth--making the kinds of sacrifices now so that grandkids and great-grandkids will have necessary resources AS WELL AS being able to be a family that makes significant gifts to charity.
Another example of this is the story that I read over Christmas--Three Cups of Tea--based on the real life story of Greg Mortenson. After failing to reach the K2 Summit on a hiking expedition, he found himself in a remove village in Pakistan making a promise to build a school for the people. That promise has turned into a lifelong effort to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan that offer girls the opportunity to learn. Mortenson believes terrorism will not end with war; it will end with education. Most likely, Mortenson will not see the end to terrorism in his lifetime, yet he keeps building schools, one-by-one. He can see the vision.
Two times in Joshua 1 this command is given, "Only be strong and courageous." I believe it takes people who are strong and courageous to carve a path in this world towards a vision that is great than them and takes more time than their lifespan to achieve. But they keep carving the path, little by little.
That's who I want to be when I grow up one day.
2 comments:
'Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.'
(attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway
Post a Comment