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Challenge
of Life
Robert H.
Gilbert, Jr
Many years
ago, as a young boy in school, I had a mentor who was in my
fourth grade class. He might have been just ten years old,
but he knew what he wanted to do with his life. All through
school, he made A's in every subject. I remember one time,
in the ninth grade, he kept telling the teachers that, by
the time he was thirty, he was
going to
be a millionaire.
So, it
seemed, the only thing I could do was take every subject
with the same teachers, at the same time, with my mentor. If
he could be a millionaire by the age thirty, why couldn't I?
In the
eleventh grade, my mentor chose the college he was going to
attend. He did not participate in sports; all he did was
study The Wall Street Journal. Day in and day out, he read
financial newspapers. He said that his major in college
would be accounting. I found out the name of the college
and got my parents to agree to pay for my studies, at the
same college. Having no idea what my major was going to be,
just going to the same college was good enough for me. After
graduation from high school, we took the summer off before
going away to college.
When we
got our degrees, four years later, he took off in a
different direction than me. After two years of searching, I
found him working for the I.R.S., in Denver, Colorado. Now,
I knew how he was going to become a millionaire. I checked
with the main office
for a job.
After about three weeks, I got a job as an assistant to his
office. He was very surprised to see me. We had lunch, on
numerous occasions, and he talked about his future. He had
six years left, according to his time schedule, for becoming
a millionaire.
I must
admit that I never thought he would do it, but he did. In
five years, at the age of twenty-nine, he had accomplished
something most people just dream of ... becoming a
millionaire.
He decided
to quit work and explore the world and promised to send me
post cards.
Me? I
guess, I'll just be a poor man and work the rest of my life,
to try and save at least a hundred dollars. Some achieve
more in life than others and then want more. Some, however,
never get their feet off the ground floor, and yet are still
very happy.
He sent me
a post card from Switzerland, where he climbed the highest
mountain ... just to say he had been there. He, even, went
on a space shuttle to explore outer space. He said he was so
close to the stars he felt as if he could reach out and
touch them.
He landed
on the moon and, to prove it, he left a footprint or two. I
knew he was there, as I had seen him on television. He sent
me a card from Bermuda, saying he was going to the deepest
part of the ocean ... to see the creatures of the sea.
He led an
expedition that was going from the North Pole to the South
Pole. Maybe he wanted to have his name in The Guinness Book
of World Records for walking all those miles.
I found
out later that, upon his return from his expedition, he had
bought a mansion on a hill that cost him well over twenty
million dollars. He was letting folks know how rich he was.
One day,
he came by the office and all the people cheered for him. He
looked about forty years older than when he had left on his
adventures. He was almost bald. When I came out of my
office, he ran up to me, shook my hand, and asked if I was
free for lunch.
"Sure," I
said. "But, I insist on paying for it."
He smiled,
then nodded.
I had an
idea that he was almost broke. Surely he must be, after
going on all those trips and buying the new house.
When we
got to the restaurant and sat at a table in the back, he
began telling me his story.
"My
adventures were not all that pleasant. I've been a dancer,
singer, an actor, even had my name in lights. I've been a
drunkard, even stole for food. On the way back home, I kept
thinking, surely, there was one more thing to do that no one
else has done before.
Landing in
New York, I realized what it was.
I took
another plane to the Middle East (Jerusalem, to be exact).
I went down to a boat rental and got a boat for the day. I
rowed out to the middle of the sea, the Sea of Galilee. I
stood up, stepped out onto the water and went under. I was
sure I went almost to the bottom. I was out of breath and
about to pass out. Then, I felt something pulling my body
up toward the surface 'til my head was out of the water.
I gasped
for air. Lifted back into the boat, I looked down at my
clothes. They were dry and the hairs on my head were not
wet. What was going on?
I looked
around to see who had pulled me out of the water. I wanted
to thank them for saving my life. But, no one was anywhere
around. I couldn't believe that I had swam back up from
being down so deep, even though I'm a very good swimmer. I
looked around again, but saw no one. Then, I finally looked
at the sky.
I saw an
arm reaching down, then a face and a smile appeared.
I stood
up, raised my arms skyward, and said, `Lord, why could I not
walk on these waters as you did? I have done so many things,
just because I knew I could do them. I believed in myself
and I believe in you. So, why could I not do this'
Then, I
heard a soft-spoken voice say, `Yes, I know you believe in
me. I have watched you do many things in your life.
If you
know I believe, then why did I sink into the water?' I
asked.
The Lord
answered, `Yes, you do believe in me. But, you believe in
your mind, not in your heart.' Then, the arms and face
slowly disappeared.
Robert H.
Gilbert, Jr. |
