Imagine standing on the precipice of a very great adventure. The jubilant excitement, the breathless anticipation; then imagine standing there at the tired and sagging age of 51. What seemed thrilling at age 20 now looks daunting, maybe even exhausting-too much to ask. But some of us are turtles and not hares in the race of life. Some of us will come across the finish line a little later than most. Yet it's always been the chubby, older marathon runner that struggled across the finish line, near last in the dark of night, when everybody else had gone home and nobody was watching, that I loved the most. It was their perseverance I admired...their stubborn refusal to give up no matter how ridiculous they looked, because they weren't doing it for the crowds or the press coverage. They were doing it for themselves, for a fire that got started that they tended and protected for years, long after others gave up believing in them.
A "turtle" I've always looked up to is a dynamo woman faith healer you probably never heard of, or don't know much about whose name was Kathryn Kuhlman. She started out as a backwoods, 16-year old girl preacher in the early 1920's who wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, despite her total ignorance of theology. The only thing she feared was wasting the precious life she'd been given-she was terribly afraid of that. Regardless of your opinion of her claims that God healed through her, Kathryn's unwavering dedication and passion was a marvel. At age 16, she voluntarily slept in chicken coops and preached in condemned churches until a real church was willing to give her a shot. Her unwavering declaration was, "I believe in miracles, because I believe in God." Back in 1923, a girl preacher was unheard of and frowned upon, even shunned. But young Kathryn had a message burning in her heart that kept her awake at night. Simply, she believed in herself and that what she had to say must be said. Lots of press reporters laughed and mocked and pointed out the flaws of her preaching. To Kathryn, it was just a conformation that she was on the right track when she got their attention and ire up; she preached that much harder. She preached into her old age, packing out coliseums, full to the brim with thousands of desperate souls convinced of her authenticity. Now you might be thinking: 'Look here-I don't go for that sort of thing.' I'm not saying I agree with it, either. What I am pointing out is this preachers infectious enthusiasm, vision, and passion. It made her famous-and maybe it even gave her the power to heal as some people claim. But one thing is unarguable: the joy of her dream carried her miles and miles from where she started. She said this: "It is a fact that every one of us, down deep, has what it takes to meet whatever life brings." Even a poor nobody girl from Concordia, Missouri.
Towards the end of her life, her ministry was in full swing and she complained in one of her books that she would never understand why she wasn't allowed to speak to great crowds of people until she was old and almost too "give out" to pull it off. That comment stuck with me. It occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, for some of us "turtles" who mature a little slower than the rest, the Universe saves the best for last. Kind of like going out with a bang. Or maybe it's that we don't have the wisdom and knowledge, patience and grace as young bucks that's necessary for the big jobs. Just maybe. If you're like me, you may be wondering why the Universe is taking so long. I have wondered that a hundred times. Why is big answer you've been waiting for so long in coming? Perhaps you may have decided that your big break is never coming at all. I'm here to tell you that there's still time. Us turtles may be slow, but we WILL cross the finish line (flashlights, please). Because it hasn't shown up yet doesn't mean it's not around the next corner. No matter the hurdles you're faced with, or how hard the wind buffets you, if you keep the fire in your heart and don't let ANYONE blow it out, you're going to astound yourself and all the people who said you couldn't.
I'll see you there-right there at the finish line. I'll be the one holding the big that sign that says: You did It. I Knew You Could! Smile.
To see all of Nina's books: http://www.amazon.com/Nina-Bingham/e/B008XEX2Z0
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