I have a ‘to do’ list sitting on my desk. One of the items waiting to be completed is writing my will. It is a task that gives me great anxiety and fills me with swirling pools of dread in the pit of my stomach. I know that it is a mandatory and essential task, however, unlike other tasks that give me great pleasure to check off, it is a reminder that time is uncertain and that there is only one eventual outcome for all of us. I never used to worry about time, and now lately, as a single parent, I pray for God to spare me for the sake of my children and those that rely on me. I pray for more time so that I can become a better servant and so that I can accomplish His plan for me.
Robert Browning www.thefamouspeople.com
Robert Browning in the midst of despair and grief and while picking up the pieces of his fragmented life after the death of his wife, turned to the teachings and sayings of Rabbi ben Ezra for inspiration and comfort. From this experience, a desire grew to help young people just starting out on their life paths, and so he wrote a poem dedicated to Rabbi ben Ezra’s teachings.
Rabbi ben Ezra stated that, “A man’s value is not measured by the years he has lived, or even the work he has done. A man’s value is measured by the character he has molded” (Watson, 1988, p. 271-272). If you were to die tomorrow, what would you wish to be remembered for? How would people describe your character? My dad taught me that the most important value is having integrity. He would often tell us that material items meant nothing. You can’t take them with you when you die and they don’t reflect who you are as a person. Watson (1988) shares that, “in the rush and hurry of our overly-ambitious lives, so many of us have lost our sense of perspective. We place too much stress on material things, and on personal achievement” (p.272). As my Dad would point out to me, integrity, on the other hand is priceless as your reputation in this life and as you pass over into the next. I want my actions and my words to be reflective of a character that my children and their children would continue to be proud of long after I have departed.
Robert Browning through the teachings of Rabbi ben Ezra encouraged us to not dread death and the inevitable passing of time. “Approach the twilight of life with joy and hope. Approach the last of life with eagerness, not gloom. For the last of life is the best of life. Trust God and be not afraid” (Watson, 1988, p.272). Robert Browning in his 1864 poem “Rabbi ben Ezra” states:
“Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made;
Our times are in his hands
Who saith, “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God; see all, nor be afraid!”
(Watson, 1988, p.273)
The words “trust God; see all, nor be afraid” jumped off the page at me and I immediately felt God’s comfort and warmth. There is NO need for me to fear the passage of time, or what is to come. I need to trust in God and have faith in His perfect plan. Browning makes this clear when he states, “Perfect I call thy plan; thanks that I was a man! Maker, remake, complete – I trust what thou shalt do!” (Watson, 1988, p. 274). The Rabbi also sums this up when he said;
Grow old along with me. Live my kind of life, putting your faith and trust in God. Then you will be serene and happy in your old age; you will not be afraid of the end.
(Watson, 1988, p. 275)
I was grateful for this much needed reminder. My “to do” task no longer seems daunting or something to be feared. This reading has affirmed for me that I need to continue to put my trust and faith in God and in His perfect plan for me. Once I do this, I know that sereneness and happiness will fulfill me and that I will have no reason to be afraid of the end.
References
Watson, L.E. (1988). Light from Many Lamps, (1st Fireside Edition). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
I have enjoyed your Light From Many Lamps reflections. You express honesty, courage and insight. ‘This reading has affirmed for me that I need to continue to put my trust and faith in God and in His perfect plan for me. Once I do this, I know that sereneness and happiness will fulfill me and that I will have no reason to be afraid of the end.’ Your words are a great summation and speak to my heart as well. Something to be reminded of no matter what stage of life you are at. It’s sometimes difficult to see the forest for the trees and yet the path forward becomes clear knowing God has His perfect plan for you.
Thank you for your kind comments. I love your last line …”It’s sometimes difficult to see the forest for the trees and yet the path forward becomes clear knowing God has His perfect plan for you.” So true! We sometimes get overwhelmed with all of the ‘trees’ in our immediate path that we lose sight of our way. I’m grateful for this class and the opportunity we have had to learn from each other and these readings. I’ve found them to be so inspirational and encouraging.
Hi Lara,
I want to mention that nobody have ever seen God, but a faith we all have in ourselves is what makes us keep on moving along with hurdles of life and also gives courage to face even the most worst situation of life. I believe that God exits and there are many supernatural things happening which science can never explain. I believe handling situations with positive attitude every now and then helps to build a better life and to take better decisions of life.
Hi Bantu,
I totally agree with you that there are many things in life that cannot be explained other than the work of God. Having a positive attitude definitely goes a long way to having a fulfilling life!
It is interesting to me that we are in a similar age bracket and were drawn to to the same reading. Though I focused on different aspects, the words “trust God” also jumped out at me. As I look at my young adult daughters, trusting God is different now than it was when I was their age because He has proved Himself and my relationship with Him has grown. As I have stated before you are such an accomplished, articulate, intelligent writer and I have learned so much from you. I feel blessed to have been a part of this learning journey with you.
Thank you so much for your kind comments. The feeling is mutual! 🙂