I’ve trained four children to drive. They get their permit when they’re 15 and drive as often as possible. (I am committed to working my way from chauffeur-ING to chauffeur-ED!)
Sometimes, before they turn the ignition key, I ask them, “Do you know where you are going?” I want them to think about the more than the endpoint; I want them to know how they’re going to get there.
It’s an important question. For Christians, we should be asking, “Who am I, and where am I going? regularly.” .
I used to work at a “Pioneer” camp — no electricity, no running water, lots of quiet in the morning. Our morning often began with one of the counselors shouting out words we had to repeat after him — “I AM…!” (“I AM…!”) — “A CHILD” (“A CHILD!”) — “OF THE KING!!!” (“OF THE KING”). The words centered us in who we were, and they called us to live in a mission — to do that day what the King called us to do.
That is a need I have not outgrown. Today, before I go anywhere — from the kitchen to the living room, from the house to the school, I’m going to stop and ask, “Who am I? And where am I going?” And I hope I will remember.
What sparked this blog was an email forward, a great story about Billy Graham. Here it is:
“Billy Graham is now 91 years old. In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson’s disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, ‘We don’t expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you.’ So he agreed.
“After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, ‘I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn’t find it.
“‘The conductor said, “Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.” Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, “Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.” Einstein looked at him and said, ‘Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.”
“Having said that Billy Graham continued, ‘See the suit I’m wearing? It’s a brand new suit. My children and my grandchildren are telling me I’ve gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I’ll be buried. But when you hear I’m dead, I don’t want you to immediately remember the suit I’m wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I also know where I’m going.’” (Original source unknown)
