«He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward» (Hebrews 11:26).
One summer I fulfilled two dreams. I love theaters, and I was able to visit two very famous ones I had been wanting to visit for a long time. In one of them I was able to enjoy a moving musical concert performed by a famous orchestra, and in the other I was able to enjoy an afternoon of inspirational reading at its great library.
I’ve seen pictures of many people in those theaters, with their typical backdrops that make them easily recognizable. But on the days I visited them, I set out to photograph a part of them that’s not so well known: their staircases.
By just seeing them, I wouldn’t be able to know where I was. They were beautiful, broad, and hid many anxious, silent footsteps.
I share this thought because today you’re probably halfway down the road to achieving something you want. Maybe by focusing so much on the end result (which isn’t bad), you ‘re forgetting many good things that happen in between. A big process, a lot of intensive learning and a long road travelled are involved in pursuing each dream.
I don’t know where the road you’ve chosen is leading you, but if you pause for one minute and reflect you might be able to think about the wealth of the exact time and place you are in today.
Is it hard to do? Yes. It’s an exercise we’re not always used to doing. But it’s what guarantees that when all is said and done or when we’ve reached the summit we so longed to reach, we won’t have an empty feeling as if everything was over. We’ll be more aware that there will be other «staircases» and other lessons as equally enjoyable as the result, or even more so.
And Moses, who climbed long, lonely «staircases, comes to mind, and although he always set his eyes on the prize, he never stopped interceding for his people, making the best of the moments he lived through while on his way to his goal to learn lessons in humility, dependence, and helping others.
Today, without losing sight of your goal, look sideways and you’ll see the same opportunities Moses had are there. They may be part of the «steps» that will lead you to your destination and meanwhile also beautify the way.