The Ladder

Greetings,

It is good to find you here this day! 

Last night I had the opportunity to speak at the Las Animas High school baccalaureate ceremonies.  For those of you who have never heard of a baccalaureate ceremony I will try to explain it to you.  Each year the student council invites our Ministerial Alliance to come and officiate a worship service for the graduates.  It is held at the school a day or so before graduation.  It is a voluntary graduation function for the grads and so the number of attendees is quite lower than a regular graduation.  It is a privilege to come and pray for the graduates and their endeavors.  Last night, I was privileged to be the individual to deliver the message.

While preparing for my message I came across a quote from an unknown author which I used as part of my sermon.  The quote was as follows, "The only thing that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is the ladder".  I centered my message around Romans 8:28 which reads, "all things work together for good for those who love God and are call to His purpose".  And, while, I think the Bible verse is a great blog discussion I want to focus on the quote.

Whether it be a graduate, a worker, a mom or dad, or any other individual who is trying to make their way through life, we all face the climb of the ladder.  Granted, the common reaction to the the idea of "climbing the ladder" is a negative one.  We envision people stepping on each other to make their way up the corporate ladder to earn more money, obtain a greater title, or, simply, lord over their subordinates.  However, I believe the "ladder" in the quote depicts life in general.  Indeed, the only thing that does stand between who we are and what we want to be is the life that we lead.  It is determined by the choices we make and the life experiences that we choose to be a part of.

On my journey home I have spent many hours thinking about the top of the ladder.  I have dreamed of a day without pain.  I have created a scenario in my mind of the day when life would be easier. I have seen the day when money would never be an issue and life would be less stressful.  I have fantasized of the day when life would be "good again" and it is the "ladder" that is getting in the way of my hopes, my dreams, and my life long ambitions.

However, in the process of writing my sermon for the graduates I came to a stark realization...I am an idiot!
Now, whether that realization is true or not I can tell you that was the way I felt.  The truth is this...I have spent too much time thinking about the top of the ladder that I forgot the beauty of the ladder itself.  The truth is that it is not the top of the ladder that makes our lives worth living, it the climb itself.  Miley Cyrus sings a song called "The Climb" in which she sings that it isn't about the mountains we face in our life nor what is waiting on the other side of the mountain.  What makes our lives either good or bad, interesting, forgettable or unforgettable, exciting or just plain boring, is the climb.  Our lives are not about the end results it's about how we get to the end that really defines who we are.

My encouragement for this day would be to spend more of your time looking at the climb and not so much about what is waiting for you at the top of the ladder.  Each step we make in our life , or, each rung we climb affects not only us but those around us.  I could spend all of my time dreaming about the day when I don't feel any pain from my surgeries or I could exert my emotions, my talents, and, really, my life in the pursuit of making the days that I do experience such pain better.  All of us need to take time to recognize that the beauty of a life well lived, the joy of experiencing the beauty of our creation, and the sense that God goes with us, is realized as we climb the ladder, not when we reach the top!

So, today, embrace the joy of the climb!  Realize the beauty of today and what it is rather than what you wished it were!  Remember, " the only thing that stands between the graduate and the top of ladder is the ladder"!

Until next time,

Derek