The Hermit
Some of the greatest men in history spent periods of their lives in immense solitude. Moses spent forty years chasing sheep in a godforsaken desert. Enoch spent hundreds of years intentionally separated from civilization. Abraham Lincoln often spent days alone, especially during his childhood. Albert Einstein made all of his discoveries alone.
Okay, so what's my point already? My point is that the desert wasn't godforsaken. That civilization was a putrid mess in Enoch's day. Abraham Lincoln succeeded in life because he learned alone, reading to the light of the hearth fire. Albert Einstein changed our world while staring at his desk, alone.
Our society today places great emphasis on the social butterfly. Our most respected people are those who smile and wave. But there's something to be said for the hermit.
God used those forty years with Moses in the desert to prepare him for the job set before him. In Enoch's solitude, he walked with the Creator.
Most of you know that I want little else in this world but to become a physician. If you asked me at five what I wanted to be, my answer would have been the same as it is now. I have seen God's direct hand in my life, leading me down a tortuous but exhilarating road to that end. Every event in my life has either been a direct act of God in that direction, or a mistake on my part that has set me back.
Most of you also know that I am an intensely relational individual. I thrive in deep friendships and time spent heart-to-heart. My soul is happy when sharing the joys and sorrows of others, and even giving advice. I'm thankful for you, my loyal friends, who allow me to be there for you.
But I'm entering a stage of life this fall that requires hermitage. The calling that God has placed on my life requires dedication, intense devotion, and demands I shut out every distraction for this season of my life.
Believe me, it hurts. But the principle of sacrificing present pleasures for future benefits creates the bedrock of success. This fall, please help me in this journey. Please don't ask me if I want to watch (blank), or go do (blank). I'm going to be terribly boring.
I value your friendships. But at this time of my life, I value the calling God has placed on my life more than the dedication of friendship.
Here's to the future. And to every success and every struggle and every lonely night to get there.
Okay, so what's my point already? My point is that the desert wasn't godforsaken. That civilization was a putrid mess in Enoch's day. Abraham Lincoln succeeded in life because he learned alone, reading to the light of the hearth fire. Albert Einstein changed our world while staring at his desk, alone.
Our society today places great emphasis on the social butterfly. Our most respected people are those who smile and wave. But there's something to be said for the hermit.
God used those forty years with Moses in the desert to prepare him for the job set before him. In Enoch's solitude, he walked with the Creator.
Most of you know that I want little else in this world but to become a physician. If you asked me at five what I wanted to be, my answer would have been the same as it is now. I have seen God's direct hand in my life, leading me down a tortuous but exhilarating road to that end. Every event in my life has either been a direct act of God in that direction, or a mistake on my part that has set me back.
Most of you also know that I am an intensely relational individual. I thrive in deep friendships and time spent heart-to-heart. My soul is happy when sharing the joys and sorrows of others, and even giving advice. I'm thankful for you, my loyal friends, who allow me to be there for you.
But I'm entering a stage of life this fall that requires hermitage. The calling that God has placed on my life requires dedication, intense devotion, and demands I shut out every distraction for this season of my life.
Believe me, it hurts. But the principle of sacrificing present pleasures for future benefits creates the bedrock of success. This fall, please help me in this journey. Please don't ask me if I want to watch (blank), or go do (blank). I'm going to be terribly boring.
I value your friendships. But at this time of my life, I value the calling God has placed on my life more than the dedication of friendship.
Here's to the future. And to every success and every struggle and every lonely night to get there.
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