Last night a good friend of mine handed me a Christmas present. It was an adorable wall ornament which pictured a beautiful fairy sitting on a quarter moon holding a little blue bird. A question was inscribed on the moon that asked, "What would you attempt if you knew you would not fail?"
Quite a thought provoking question ignited my imagination. What would I attempt? At first I invisioned myself sitting at a baby grand piano playing for a concert hall full of admiring people. Then, I heard myself singing a beautiful song and thrilling my audiences. Then, I stopped and broaden my expectations as I remembered that "...I would not fail." If I knew going in that I couldn't fail, then I could do absolutely anything. Anything! The answers to the question were infinite.
Then, the solution came to me in a flash. Cancer. I would find a cure for cancer and wipe out a disease that seems to have plagued our popoulation like a...well, like a cancer. Yes, that would be my task to attempt if I knew I would not fail. Rid our destitute world of cancer.
Although, I've no aptitude for science, I should be more realistic in my answer. So, I should rethink the question. "What would you attempt if you knew you would not fail?" Realistically, I know I can pray and not fail. Just as Jesus prayed, "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name..." He continued to pray, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." Jesus' prayer was not for protection from disease, but from "the evil one." But I desperately want a cure be found to rid our undeserving world of cancer, aids, Alzheimer's disease and so many more adnormalities and imperfections here on earth. Ah, there it is. "...on earth."
Jesus prayed not for us to be taken out of the world (with it's disease) but for protection from the evil one. I don't know if I can say that disease is from the evil one, but it is certainly from this world. Therefore, "What would you attempt if you knew you would not fail?" Still a very thought provoking question for us to ponder, my attempts will have to be in the form of prayer.
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished." 1Chr. 28:20b
1 comment:
Great question! And a wonderful answer.
My answer would go somewhere along the lines of "world peace".
Though, hopefully, not so cliche. I would want to attempt leadership that would help our planet (peoples and nature) to fully respect each other and not exploit the other. This, of course, because I just watched Al Gore's film last night.
I think the answer might get us closer to that passion piece of discerning our call in life ... thanks for the post.
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