Everyone loves a winner. The prodigy. The outlier.
We sit back and watch them on the screen. The team from our hometowns wins, therefore somehow we win. Victory by association.
We eulogize them.
Stand them ceremoniously on their pedestal.
Admire their stamina, giftedness, fortune.
Satisfied we could never be like them.
At least, that’s my first reaction.
I like normal.
Don’t mind being behind the scenes, helping others succeed.
It seems so altruistic, so humble, so Christ-like.
Not thinking more highly of oneself than we ought.
But what if all that is just an excuse to not discipline myself for excellence?
What if it is just the lazy man’s excuse to not pursue a higher calling?
What if it is denying the power that was given to me to go out and change the world?
You can’t hit a target you aren’t aiming at.
You can’t even hit it if you aim and never pull the trigger.
Ready, aim, aim, aim, rest.
And you will never climb a mountain if you never venture near one.
Purify my heart, oh Lord. Refine me.
See if there be any wicked, lazy way in me.
Lead me to a higher calling than I could ever have imagined myself.
Remind me to fan into flame the gift that is already in me.
Your refiner’s fire.
