Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday September 10, 2008

I spent the best part of a day listening to a close friend list the reasons why he was not on track to be comfortable in old age, which he supposes he is nearing. His eyes must be terribly out of whack, for he is not getting old; he is here with the rest of us.

As he continued with the same excuses made by anyone in his boat, signaled by the well worn, "If only;" I asked him a simple question, which seemed totally unrelated to our conversation.

"When is the best time to plant a tree?"

He said, "Well I suppose in the spring or very late winter?"

I called him by name and said,

"I don't know the correct season for planting a tree, but the best time to plant a tree is 25 years ago. The second best time is today."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could push a button and redo 25 years ago? Well, we can't, so the next best thing is to start today on things that we should have taken care of 25 years ago. I know it's late, but next year will only be later, and if we fail to plant the tree, the seeds of the things we want or want to accomplish today, it is unlikely that they will ever be planted and our life will have been lived with a banner over it reading, unfruitful, written large.

Like you, I can think of many things I wish I had started 25 years ago. I can think of even more I wish I had not started 25 years ago! Life is like that, we have a saying for it, "Hindsight is 20/20."

A friend of mine who is way beyond "well off" financially told me that when he was starting out he practiced projecting himself 25 years into the future and trying to imagine what he would wish he had done 25 years prior, or in his present time. He told me that he is amazed at the power this practice gave to him to make good decisions today for tomorrow. I have tried, but I do admit to having trouble clearly visualizing what I will wish I had done today 25 years from now. That puts me up around 92.

The truth is that it takes mental discipline to project 25 years into the future at any age, but it is essential to learn this art if we do not want to spend too much of our life wistfully repeating, "If only." When I was 42 I was flying high in my career, but supposing that I was of the Wallenda stripe I prepared no net for the unplanned events of life. But I did mentally, emotionally and spiritually fully grasp one principle from the fall: Truth never changes, so learn to make all of life's decisions based on principles that never change. When this is followed, faith in Christ to resolve to never fudge can reduce the "if only 25 years ago syndrome."

"Remember a little fudging on the truth can result in a factory of bitter candy."

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.

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