Leaving With A Dream

It seems that it took me 100 years to reach the magical age of 21 – then three months later I turned 45. Why couldn’t I have had all this work to do when I was wishing the years would hurry up and pass? The harder and faster I work, the more I see that ought to be done. For every task that I check off, seven new ones appear at the bottom of the list.

When I hold my list of things to do beside the number of years I have left to work, it gets downright depressing. But then I read about David. Remember how he wanted to build a house for God? God refused his offer, but told David that his son could build Him one. So in the waning years of his life, David established the plans and gathered the materials for a magnificent temple. He died before it was completed, but David left with a dream. No bitterness, no whining, no criticism of the younger generation. Just an incomplete To Do List.

Moses died still believing that God was going to lead Israel to the promise land.

Caleb was eager to fight for his mountain even though he had already celebrated 85 birthdays.

Simeon kept looking for the promised Christ as he served in the temple in his old age.

Anna refused to wallow in a widow’s self-pity, giving her energy instead to ministering in the temple well past her 80th year.

The Apostle Paul was active well into his 60's, preaching and writing right up to the time they chopped off his head.

These died in the faith, but with an unfinished task list. They were working steadily, dreaming about what God might do tomorrow. Their relationship with God was not a musty memory of victories past, but a vibrant hope of things yet to come that kept them looking forward to the future. They left with a dream.

How is your planning coming along? Are you hoping to find some spot where you can sit back and relax and let the young bucks take over while you spend the rest of your days watching and reminiscing? That sounds tempting, but no thanks. I don’t want to become an old timer whose life is tethered to the past. When my time comes, I want to leave here with a To Do List loaded with unfinished tasks.

I want to leave with the fire of a dream still burning in my soul.

©2006 Doug Ellingsworth