ENCOURAGEMENT 46 JUNE 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition "Don't count the days; make the days count. The real risk is doing nothing. Success is walking from failure to failure." These are just a few of the famous quotes about leading accomplished lives. Nevertheless, success is indeed a complicated consideration whose timing is less than impeccable. By the age of six, Mozart was performing, and two years later he wrote his first symphony. Alexander the Great was conquering countries as a teenager and created the world's most powerful empire prior to his death at the tender age of 33. Zuckerberg launched Facebook at 20 and soon thereafter became the world's youngest self-billionaire. No personal application here; I was never an early riser or an early bloomer... maybe there is a connection!! Late arrivals On the other hand, there is something to be said for late arrivals. For one, there is Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite at 34, sold tons of it for decades and earned the moniker "Merchant of Death." Then, near the end of his life, a newspaper erroneously ran his not too complimentary obituary, which deeply impacted him and led him to create the Nobel Prize. Abraham Lincoln could identify with Isaiah 53:3, "despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." He reluctantly worked on his family's farm for years, lost several jobs, failed in business, watched his sweetheart die at a young age, suffered a nervous breakdown and lost several elections before finally becoming the 16th president at age 52. Not to mention our brother Saul, who had a change of spirit near Damascus after years of persecuting the Christian "sect" and, thereafter, did life for Christ as Paul, the missionary to the gentiles... started dreadfully but finished well. Leaving a legacy Regardless of the timing, these guys left behind a substantial legacy that has endured and mostly flourished with the passage of time. Compare that to my checkered past and how it has impacted my negligible standing and image in the community. Somehow there is a sense that what others think of me differs greatly from my "reality." Serving at memorial services for several years accentuated this sentiment. There is a very good reason why we have eulogies and not rebukes at these events; we are there to pay tribute not to dole out censure. Yet, "when the dust settled" and the conversation turned somewhat earnest at the ensuing reception, we often heard the other side of the story, and in many cases, it was not pretty. Yes, I have occasionally reflected on my "honest" obituary; it is not pretty. Performance review Could it be that what may be missing in our Christian walk are some honest appraisals as to our performance, or lack thereof? As a former member of the federal workforce for over three decades, this exercise is somewhat foreign to me. I got a chuckle weeks ago when workers across the U.S. government were asked to account for what they accomplished the previous week. Not a hard task, given the system rewards those who become experts at accomplishing little and taking credit for much. In order to take stock of where I stand in my walk, it may be beneficial for me to capture to some degree the opinion of Jesus on the matter, which is all that really matters. Before doing so, it may behoove me to check my heart and not my deeds. So, the question begs an answer... what have we done as Christians to further His Kingdom this past week? Did we accomplish little and took credit for much? Personally, only the last two characters mentioned earlier serve as examples in furthering my spiritual journey. The first four operated mainly in the limelight. Yet President Lincoln and the Apostle Paul brought servant leadership to the table, and their accomplishments were bathed in humility and grace. They both were staunch developers who helped to expand their country and their church respectably while eschewing credit. As followers of Christ, we should strive for excellence while forgoing arrogance while following the advice of Jesus to "not let your left hand know what your right one is doing." Legacies are made one day at a time, and it is never too late to make the necessary adjustments in our lifestyles to allow the Holy Spirit to lead. My life consisted mostly of throwing dynamite at people; however, I do not need a premature obituary to knock sense into me. Although it seems irrational to the human mind, Jesus forgave all the carnage I created when I accepted Him as my Savior; no deeds can cover that debt, but my gratitude calls to serve Him in love. In the end, a simple thing for a simple man; "but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Omar Aleman is a retired federal agent and consultant. He and his wife Julianne assist and support several Christian non-profit organizations both here and abroad. Make My Day - Omar Aleman - Aleman and Associates Mark Zuckerberg Alfred Nobel Abraham Lincoln Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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