The Point

The Point

Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine, related this story recently.

In 2009, Darren went with his dad to visit one of his long-time-friends.  The man was in a medical care facility and was nearing his earthly end.  As Darren and his father started to leave, the man called Darren back to his bedside.  As Darren sat down, he could tell that this man had something important to say.

He grabbed Darren’s arm and said, “Don’t miss the point like I did.” 

He continued… “I wish I had spent as much time and energy accumulating relationships as I did accumulating houses.  I wish I would have invested my heart as aggressively as I did my money.  Only now do I understand true wealth, and none of it appears on a balance sheet.” 

And then he squeezed Darren’s arm as if to put an exclamation point on what he had just said. 

I love the comment “invested my heart”.  That is what people need from us. 

-We get into the lives of others when we invest our hearts.

-We become intimate in relationships.

-We listen with our hearts and our ears.

-We become an ally when one is needed.

-We are there, in the flesh, when it matters.

-We sometimes put our agenda aside and focus on their agenda.

-We live with them through the crisis.

-We laugh, we love, we pray, we walk through whatever it is that life brings, and we do it together.

Don’t miss the point!

What a significant statement. 

When it’s all said and done what matters the most is people and relationships.  Bank accounts and balance sheets are good, but investing in the lives of others is better.

What would happen if we pressed 

the pause button on occasion and said …?

“Today I’ll call someone from my past just to catch up.”

“Today I’ll make peace with my neighbor.”

“Today we are going to watch a special baseball game.  Let the meeting happen without me.

“Today the most important thing I can do is focus on you.”

Catch all of life’s important opportunities that you can.  There are no do-overs. 

Reminds me of a 17^th century poem:

Gather ye rosebuds while you may

Old Time is still a-flying

And this same flower that smiles today

Tomorrow will be dying

-Robert Herrick

Don’t miss the point. 

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

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