A Legend in my own mind.
In my 50+ years on planet earth, I’ve lived to see some incredible and notable things come to pass. Hard to believe but in the year of my birth, 1969, Neil Armstrong took his historic first steps on the moon. In the 70’s I recall the movie premier of Star Wars and Elvis, “The King of Rock-n-Roll”, was found dead on his bathroom floor. In the 80’s the Space Shuttle Challenger heartbreakingly exploded over the Atlantic and the Berlin Wall came down. In the 90’s Princess Diana died in a tragic car accident, the Hubble Telescope was launched into space and let’s not forget the OJ murder trial. In the 2000’s I witnessed (while watching live television) the dreadful attacks against our country as they took place on September 11, Saddam Hussein was captured and America inaugurated her first black President. In the 2010’s, the world witnessed the devastating effects of the earthquake in Haiti, the Chicago Cubs finally win the World Series after an historic dry spell, and Donald Trump, a multi-billionaire, real estate mogul, reality television star and author of “The Art of the Deal” has won the Presidency of the United States of America.
So much history. So many things I’ve witnessed and yet I’ve had nothing to do with any of it. I have been an observer, like a cat staring into a fish bowl. When I was younger, I had such grandiose aspirations for my life. In my naivety, I thought I might one day play a role on the world stage somehow. I thought maybe I could be the “Top-Dog”, “VIP”, “Head Honcho”, etc. and leave a significant mark on humanity. As it turns out, not so much! I’m not even big in Japan;) I’m really not trying to be self-deprecating here but the truth is that, in the world’s eyes, I’m no one really. I matter to a relatively small amount people, but here’s the thing (and I think this applies to each of us); the relatively small amount of people we do matter to is a way bigger deal than we likely realize! We live in a brave new “selfie” world where everyone is striving to become “instafamous” so that their status could be elevated in the world’s eyes and enjoy immediate validation, not for who they really are, but for who they are projecting themselves to be. We are all guilty of this on some level, aren’t we? If we could only pause and turn down the media and tech volume in our lives for a moment, we would begin to realize that we really are kind of a big deal! We are husbands, fathers, sons, brothers and friends, each to our own individual spheres of influence and we are called to be men who lead with love, courage and integrity. We have people watching us, pulling for us and counting on us to be the best versions of ourselves that we could possibly be.
As I review this list of all of the decades of historical markers I’ve witnessed, none of them compare to my life’s personal milestones; learning to ride a bike, landing my first real job, having my heart broken, graduating from college, falling in love, getting married, having children, losing a loved one, buying a home, etc.. This is reality. These are the historic, noteworthy moments that matter and they are part of my legacy. What are your life’s greatest markers? I know you have many. Take a moment to reflect on them and then thank God for them all, the good and the bad, for they are all gifts of either joy and provision or maturity and growth.
A friend of mine recently told me that he felt his best days were behind him. I don’t believe that for any of us. Where there is life, there is hope. The rear view mirror of our lives is there for a quick glance to help us remember where we’ve been but we are not intended to stare at the rear view mirror. We need to keep our eyes fixed on the road ahead. There is so much more “story” for us to write and our fans are counting on us! This moment right now is a gift. Seize it! Tell her you love her. Hug and kiss the kiddos for no reason at all. Make that phone call. Send that encouraging text. Pray with your family. Pet your dog.
James 4:14 – “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a lifetime and then vanishes.”
Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Let’s go get it.
#carpediem