Some time ago a student of mine came to my office with his mom,“Master C” he began “I am doing a project for school. I am to ask 5 people that I respect what is their greatest accomplishment in life and their biggest goal. The accomplishment has to be outside of having kids.”
“Great question. How many people have you asked so far?” I said. “You are the last one.” “Saved me for last huh” I said as we all laughed.
Mom had pulled out her cell phone and had begun to record this conversation “This is going to be a good one” she said as she sat in a chair in front on my desk.
The student pulled out a pamphlet of paper and a pencil waiting to begin printing my reply.
My biggest goal in life is to tell everyone around me of the God I serve.”
“But what if they don’t listen” he asked.
“My concern isn’t if they choose to listen. I cannot be concerned about how others react to who I am, what I do, or what i say. That is too much of a burden for me or anyone else to carry. However, I must always be true to who I am.” I replied
“But what if they don’t want to be your friend anymore.” he injected.
His mom smiled, “I knew this would be good.” she said in between her chuckle.
“Were they really my friend before or were they a friend only to the image of me that they created benefit them?”
Before he could even speak to tell me that he didnt understand I continued, “What I mean by that is that there are several images of who you are.
1. The perception of you to others based upon your interactions when they are around you.
2. How you reveal yourself to be around family and those closest to you.
And 3. How you reveal yourself to be when others are not around.
Your goal is to merge those three together so that you are the same in all three. That is called integrity.”
“But what if they still don’t want to be your friend,” he asked again.
“I cannot make that choice for them, but I can choose to be known as someone who always speaks what I believe no matter the audience.”
Somehow the conversation had become more than the two original questions and the short expectation of the answers.
“Your second question as about my greatest accomplishments. Right?” “Yes” he answered quickly “And you cant say something like having kids.” “Thanks for that reminder” i said as his mom chuckled again.
“My greatest accomplishment has been standing firm on who I am an what i believe even when threatened with bad reviews if i didn’t give someone what they demanded, or someone saying they will no longer be my friend. My greatest accomplishment has been standing firm telling them that their review on social media pales in comparison of my name in the book of life and crowns to be received in heaven. My greatest accomplishment is explaining that I am never friendless when i have a friend in Jesus. My greatest accomplishment is standing firm in explaining that although i may sometimes be lonely, I am never alone.”
He had stopped writing some time ago and had decided to instead to be focused upon what i was saying ensuring that he was fully understanding.
I continued “Being true to yourself brings with it freedom because I am not bound to who you want me to be. Many people will not like that. They think that for you to listen to them, you must also see things their way. Not only do they think that way, they demand that you accept that way of thinking. I do not. My greatest accomplishment is revealed when someone who use to speak of how great he see’s himself, now speaks of the greatness of another, instead of himself. When the person who use to brag about himself now brags about another, demonstrating humility found through maturity. You see, MY greatest accomplishment is found when YOU and others like you who are around me, come back years from now saying that i made a difference. Because then i can remind them that it is not about me, but about He who resides in me. That is my greatest accomplishment.”
“Wow” this young boy said “You do make a difference Master C.” “Then I have accomplished something after all.” I answered.
He and his mom stood up. “I have to figure out how to shorten all that for my teacher” he said. “Uh huh, you arent shortening a thing. I have it all recorded and that is that is what she is going to get.”
Words of thanks were exchanged and they left. Many weeks later lead to us meeting again. He told me that his teacher told them in class to submit one interview that they want for her to read out of the 5 interviewed. He said he picked mine. He got an A. His teacher told him that she wanted to read the best entry to the entire class but she didn’t want to offend others by reading his because others may have different believes. He told her ok but don’t i have the same right to voice a belief as they do by silent using their right to silence my entry?
I smiled as he told me this. His mom stood there with the face of pride.
Yes, my list of accomplishments just grew longer.