A Pilgrim’s Progress
A picture hung on my living room wall for many years showing a Pilgrim couple landing in the “new world.” They were walking inland after completing their voyage across the Atlantic. A closer look revealed that the ship that brought them was heading over the horizon back to England. It was a stark picture of total commitment without any way out. I would often stop and look at the scene because it made such a profound statement about life. You arrive on this planet and you have only one good choice: embrace it, discover why you are here, and courageously move forward.
The Pilgrim couple had come to the “new world” hoping for freedom and a chance to live life without intrusion. We also know from history that they were ill prepared for what was before them. They were beset by illness, frigid weather and numerous other setbacks. Even with the help of the Native Americans the way forward was difficult at best.
Baptism by Fire
This hopeful and likely excited Pilgrim couple was embarking on a “baptism by fire,” they just didn’t know it. They had much to learn and they were going learn it the hard way. For them it was no different than a soldier’s first time in battle when his first emotion is fear and his first thought is, “What have I gotten myself into?!”
Perhaps like me, your life has unfolded much like those Pilgrims; a series of opportunities and situations for which you were ill prepared. Here are a few of my experiences:
A picture hung on my living room wall for many years showing a Pilgrim couple landing in the “new world.” They were walking inland after completing their voyage across the Atlantic. A closer look revealed that the ship that brought them was heading over the horizon back to England. It was a stark picture of total commitment without any way out. I would often stop and look at the scene because it made such a profound statement about life. You arrive on this planet and you have only one good choice: embrace it, discover why you are here, and courageously move forward.
The Pilgrim couple had come to the “new world” hoping for freedom and a chance to live life without intrusion. We also know from history that they were ill prepared for what was before them. They were beset by illness, frigid weather and numerous other setbacks. Even with the help of the Native Americans the way forward was difficult at best.
Baptism by Fire
This hopeful and likely excited Pilgrim couple was embarking on a “baptism by fire,” they just didn’t know it. They had much to learn and they were going learn it the hard way. For them it was no different than a soldier’s first time in battle when his first emotion is fear and his first thought is, “What have I gotten myself into?!”
Perhaps like me, your life has unfolded much like those Pilgrims; a series of opportunities and situations for which you were ill prepared. Here are a few of my experiences:
- My first radio show when the person who was to coach me that evening did not show up. The clock struck 7 PM and I was on-air by the seat of my pants.
- Numerous management and marketing positions where I was given great responsibility without the promised support.
- Being a father to seven children and constantly learning the right things to do and the wrong things to stop doing.
I could make a much longer list and I suspect that you could too. It would demonstrate that much of life is a “baptism by fire.”
Ounces of Courage
No one has ever done anything significant without courage. Some of the most courageous people I have known or read about were those who took a huge step of faith to do something they believed they were put here on earth to do. One example is the well-known missionary Jim Elliot and his missionaries who lost their lives in the jungles of Ecuador. We might see this as a terrible waist of a life. But, after his death, this entry was found in one of Elliot’s journals: "I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus." Equally courageous was his wife Elizabeth, who later traveled and met with the tribesmen who had killed her husband and completed the work he had started.
We are Like the Pilgrims
Pursuing our destiny is not easy. It would be so much easier to focus on ourselves the way most people do. However, when we understand the reason God put us here on this earth, we cannot ignore the assignment because our passions compel us to act.
The same was true for the Pilgrims. They had to do what they felt called to do, and when the going got tough they had to find courage in the same way we do. You may be surprised to learn that their experiences and ours are eerily similar.
The Pilgrims sailed in small (60 ft. long) sailing ships, their quarters were cramped and there were no luxuries. For many, pursuing their destiny, moving forward has required them to downsize their lives, go without past luxuries and for a time, letting life be more Spartan than before.
The Pilgrims experienced furious storms at sea. For some of us, we too have experienced our own form of storms (setbacks) as we set out to fulfill our passions.
The Pilgrims were abused by the ships crews. We also sometimes face abuse from friends and family who do not understand why we are heading in new directions different from theirs’s. Also, some face opposition to their mission because it removes power from an entity that wants to control the same people they are trying to help.
Ounces of Courage
No one has ever done anything significant without courage. Some of the most courageous people I have known or read about were those who took a huge step of faith to do something they believed they were put here on earth to do. One example is the well-known missionary Jim Elliot and his missionaries who lost their lives in the jungles of Ecuador. We might see this as a terrible waist of a life. But, after his death, this entry was found in one of Elliot’s journals: "I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus." Equally courageous was his wife Elizabeth, who later traveled and met with the tribesmen who had killed her husband and completed the work he had started.
We are Like the Pilgrims
Pursuing our destiny is not easy. It would be so much easier to focus on ourselves the way most people do. However, when we understand the reason God put us here on this earth, we cannot ignore the assignment because our passions compel us to act.
The same was true for the Pilgrims. They had to do what they felt called to do, and when the going got tough they had to find courage in the same way we do. You may be surprised to learn that their experiences and ours are eerily similar.
The Pilgrims sailed in small (60 ft. long) sailing ships, their quarters were cramped and there were no luxuries. For many, pursuing their destiny, moving forward has required them to downsize their lives, go without past luxuries and for a time, letting life be more Spartan than before.
The Pilgrims experienced furious storms at sea. For some of us, we too have experienced our own form of storms (setbacks) as we set out to fulfill our passions.
The Pilgrims were abused by the ships crews. We also sometimes face abuse from friends and family who do not understand why we are heading in new directions different from theirs’s. Also, some face opposition to their mission because it removes power from an entity that wants to control the same people they are trying to help.
The Pilgrims voyage took longer than expected and because of that their supplies we depleted. Most who set out to fulfill their destiny find that it takes longer than expected to get from point “a” to point “b.” Sometimes, like their Pilgrim counterparts, resources (usually time or money) become tight along the way.
The Pilgrims, once in the “new world,” experienced a lack of comfort, had few friends and experienced numerous dangers. Those seeking a meaningful life many times experience a similar fate. That is why I always encourage people to never “go it alone,” but to partner with others who share their same vision.
With all this difficulty and hardship you would think that the Pilgrims would have chartered the next boat east. Surely like the soldier mention earlier, they must have said in a dark moment, “What have I gotten myself in to!” But they did not run. Oh, they were scared at times but even more than that they were courageous. They possessed that same courage that rises up in those who pursue their purposes. You see, we really are like the Pilgrims.
Don’t Accept Average
For many years the picture that hung on my living room wall had a centering effect on me as I contemplated the courage of that young Pilgrim couple. Many people today simply want to prolong their lives rather than try to find their purpose in life. Certainly, medical science is helping them live longer. What is sad, however, is that these people add years to their lives, but not life to their years. Should our primary goal be to prolong our lives, or should it be to live life to its fullest? Whether we are 20 or 80 everyone has a purpose to live out.
We may not wear funny coats and hats, but those who pursue their destiny really are all Pilgrims. Just like them, most of what we learn in life comes about from a “baptism by fire.” Life can be full of hardship especially when we live our life for the sake of others. Courage is the only way forward and it is courage that makes people pursuing their life purposes most like the Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims, once in the “new world,” experienced a lack of comfort, had few friends and experienced numerous dangers. Those seeking a meaningful life many times experience a similar fate. That is why I always encourage people to never “go it alone,” but to partner with others who share their same vision.
With all this difficulty and hardship you would think that the Pilgrims would have chartered the next boat east. Surely like the soldier mention earlier, they must have said in a dark moment, “What have I gotten myself in to!” But they did not run. Oh, they were scared at times but even more than that they were courageous. They possessed that same courage that rises up in those who pursue their purposes. You see, we really are like the Pilgrims.
Don’t Accept Average
For many years the picture that hung on my living room wall had a centering effect on me as I contemplated the courage of that young Pilgrim couple. Many people today simply want to prolong their lives rather than try to find their purpose in life. Certainly, medical science is helping them live longer. What is sad, however, is that these people add years to their lives, but not life to their years. Should our primary goal be to prolong our lives, or should it be to live life to its fullest? Whether we are 20 or 80 everyone has a purpose to live out.
We may not wear funny coats and hats, but those who pursue their destiny really are all Pilgrims. Just like them, most of what we learn in life comes about from a “baptism by fire.” Life can be full of hardship especially when we live our life for the sake of others. Courage is the only way forward and it is courage that makes people pursuing their life purposes most like the Pilgrims.
