Saturday, March 27, 2004

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.
(Romans 8.18 NRSV)

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We all need a future that we can set our eye and our heart on. We are told by Bible translators that an unusual characteristic of the Masai language in Africa is that there is no future tense. To convey a sense of the future, the speaker must use a complicated sentence structure. Even then, the meaning will not always be clear. In order to help the Masai people to comprehend God's promises, it was first necessary to give them a way to talk about the future. We all need a positive sense of the future. We all need goals to pull us forward.

A college professor prepared a test for his soon-to-be-graduating seniors. The test questions were divided into three categories and the students were instructed to choose questions from only one of the categories. The first category of questions was the hardest and worth fifty points. The second which was easier, was worth forty points. The third, the simplest, was worth thirty points. Upon completion of the test, students who had chosen the hardest fifty-point questions were given A's. The students who had chosen the forty-point questions received B's. Those who settled for the easiest thirty-pointers were given C's. The students were frustrated with the grading of their papers and asked the professor what he was looking for. The professor leaned over the podium, smiled, and explained, "I wasn't testing your knowledge. I was testing your goals."

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Dear God, may I have high goals in living and working for your kingdom of love. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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