Lessons from the Desert

Hello Everyone! As my time draws to an end over here I want to thank you all for the support in the form of prayers, cards, and letters. Yesterday and even this morning I was overwhelmed by the many Birthday wishes I received. I am really grateful to you all. Spending my birthday far from home and family is not what I would have wished, but it was nevertheless another mile marker, or goal reached, along this journey.
Over here, more so than at home, I get in the habit of looking at the calendar and setting mile markers that draw me closer to home. I wouldn't call them goals, but there are goals met along the way with the ultimate goal of finishing well and reaching the end of a long journey.
I have set a goal of reading as many books as I can while here and I have read many. I have set a goal of drawing closer to Christ and, with out a doubt, have drawn closer. All of us have something we want to achieve and will often set goals to reach them. This is a good practice when the goal is a righteous one.
This morning I read a story of a man who happened to die yesterday on my birthday. The story is about a man from Kenya, Joseph Stephen Kimani Nganga Maruge, who at the age of 84 decided to enroll in primary school. Why is a pretty logical question to ask. Why would an 84 year old man decide it was time to go to primary school. Why put up with the embarrassment, the ridicule, the hard work and effort, which I am sure gets harder as we get older(and yes I am speaking from experience)? Joseph had a goal.
Joseph had set a worthwhile and righteous goal. He wanted to learn to read the Bible before he died. Joseph reached his goal. He didn't complete primary school, but he did learn to read the Bible.
I have no idea what kind of quality of life Joseph had during his 89 years of life in Africa, but I am sure the last few were full of amazement, discovery and peace few will ever know.
While this applies to all of us, the following is for the men who read this.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would set righteous goals that advance the truth of God and enhance people's lives without concern over what others might mock, or ridicule? Not caring about what the world thinks, but only of what God thinks. Becoming leaders, armed with the truth, for our families, for our communities. Ask yourself this; are we building an earthly or heavenly reputation? I encourage you to read 1st Timothy 6:12 and take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.
My prayer is we all get to the point in our life when God is first and all else seems unworthy of worry.
God bless you all and I will see you soon.