February 7, 2020

The Forest and The Trees

In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” 

― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning: Gift Edition

For this writer's entire life, in thinking of excellence, I have heard the expression, "You cannot see the trees for the forest..." other times, "You cannot see the forest for the trees." For the sightless person, you cannot see the forest or the trees, but, the sounds and smells tells you the woodlands are there.

I still remember the day my father's oldest, I was a teenager, when he took me through hundreds of acres of woodlands to show me the boundary lines. I'm sure his father had done the same for him. This was before the time of spray paint, often it was just a large post driven into the ground. In fact, reading the descriptions on land deeds, the surveyor would refer to posts-rocks-certain trees etc... as boundary lines or corners. Landowners were very careful about their own land, he did not want an adjacent landowner coming across the line and selling some of his fine trees. Much of my father's woodlands had come down through many generations and much of it was virgin timber. He knew the value of certain wood, certain trees, oak, poplar, pine etc. Woodlands were sold and appraised by the value of individual trees. I can still see, from my childhood, oxen pulling the logs from the forest.

Warning flares always indicate danger. Albert Einstein, perhaps the world's greatest mind, said, "Only two things are infinite, the Universe and man's ability to be stupid." The twentieth century saw mankind put his trust in men rather than God. We just refused to believe that there are exceptional people... that some trees stand out even in a forest. It sometimes takes a while to recognize these people. Of the eighty greatest personalities in the bible, most discussed, just a few were religious leaders. Such men as Abraham, Joseph, most of the disciples, like Luke the physician, would not be considered religious leaders. Moses, perhaps the educated man of his time, "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds."- Act 7:22 (Herded dumb sheep for 40 years before God saw fit to use him.) But God knew where he was the entire time. God knew where this child of Amram and Jochebad was, even when he was in a small basket in the Nile as his sister Miriam watched from a distance. At Myraba, Moses knew what it was like to deal with the three million "stiffnecked" former slaves whom he had led out of Egypt, led through the Red Sea, water piled up on two sides. Really, not one of them deserved to drink of the water. Salvation that neither he nor the children of Israel had done one thing about. For the entire history of the Jewish people, it was always God. When anyone tells you to prove the bible, just say there is a three letter word to prove the bible, J-e-w.

We live in a time of stupid voters, genuflecting before politicians who ride around on private jets... eat from gold plates and laugh at you. Most of today's opinion molders-power brokers, no longer look for the exceptional mind, the exceptional morality, the exceptional integrity, rather, the lowest denominator of man who will bow to any decadent incredulity. They just want a "yes man". That "blah" individual that will never stand out in a crowd, those who would put forth the effort and faith to achieve. 90% of the christian faith is just raw courage. It takes courage to stand out, to be the exceptional person, to always present the best version of yourself whether in the classroom, on the sports field, their place of worship, in your chosen vocation.

I live in the town in which Michael Jordan, one of the world's greatest basketball players, was raised. He had a passion for sports. In high school, college, even during his NBA career, he continued to practice every day. He paid the price for excellence.

This writer knows discouragement, to never have been encouraged about anything, anytime. Many years ago, at a small baptist college, now a university, I established financial awards for excellence... two senior excellence awards of $3000 each, each year, faculty and staff financial awards for excellence of $4000 each, other financial awards for outstanding students. I feel that money is something which proves ones worth. My giving was continued for many years until liberal administrators did not want awards of excellence... let everyone "get a trophy just for playing." Likewise, and this is not to impress anyone, God knows my heart, I gave financial awards for outstanding pastors, Sunday School personnel, superintendents and teachers. I have letters from sunday school personnel that tell me they taught for thirty years and never received any recognition. If it is nothing but a gold star beside a child's name in a public school or sunday school, any child appreciates recognition... standing out from the crowd. With most personal fortunes, everything is gained with a wink or something diabolical. Former president L. B. Johnson, never made much money in his lifetime but retired as president with a $53 Million fortune. Other presidents, and you know who they are, compromising-conniving, have retired with great fortunes... so have the goldbrickers of industry-education-political intrigue. Many did not gain wealth or notoriety because of their ability but because of their notoriety. Never confuse accomplishment with celebrity. Remember Helen Keller and Madonna. 

"There are no such things as divine, immutable or inalienable rights. Rights are things we get when we are strong enough to make good our claim to them." -Helen Keller

My friend, Dr. John East, ECU professor, U.S. Senator, spent most of his life in a wheelchair. He said to me one time, "The disabled life is hardly worth living." He later killed himself. You are not stuck where you start, or stuck in any suffering that befalls you. Give the best version of yourself and recognize the exceptionalism of others.