We were all so young once, all of life out before us…idealistic, with the guts to forge a new path and walk it. We did not anticipate the challenges, the mountain range that lay hidden around the hairpin curve.
All of life was wonder and excitement…achieving our dreams was the aim. When every attempt at those dreams turned into yet another challenge, we remained positive, upbeat and optimistic.
As the years fled by, wonderful children, meaningful relationships. Fullness of life in ways we had not imagined. And still…that same nagging original “dream” that set us on our course to begin with, though faded, it was.
Now it carries not the same fervor and persistence. It is a distant memory, a crumbled piece of paper, a story that once held our attention. But have we failed somewhere along the way to be true to ourselves and our dreams? No…a thousand times NO!
We are living in the dream! The beauties of life that could never be anticipated in our youth. The depth of tears, joy, struggle and mountaintop. The path that the Lord had for us and His plan within the plan. The Plan within the plan…that is what it was always about!
And, we are not done yet!
Oh yes, things are different now, many years have passed and life has altered us both within and without. But the richness of what lies within after all we have seen, done, failed at and triumphed at, is in the soil of our being.
It is like a rich garden that has seen great care and production through the years. Each season’s bounty has left leaves, stems and fruit that have not quite made it into harvest. However, they have been turned over into the soil of the heart and the character. Now this soil is prepared for a harvest that is greater than we have ever experienced.
If you think you are done; think again!
Life lies out before you even now. You are not coming to the end, but you have come to a pinnacle. Let your past be a memorial to the faithfulness of God. Let your future be built upon the past He has given you and…walk! It is the story within the story. The plan within the plan.
You have not written the final chapter yet! Your richest times lay ahead….
*I wrote this four years ago. It is as valid as ever. I encourage you to move into the life within you, that you may run your race well; that you may finish this earthly pursuit with persistence.