A Life Well-Lived, Part 10, "Do Something Great"

Those big families on stage in Branson who pass instruments down the line and play them all – that’s what I had pictured for our family! Don’t all big families play instruments?! So, I put each kid in piano lessons as soon as they were able to read their letters. But when Timo was about 10 years old, he told me he wanted to quit lessons. I was horrified because… the show must go on!

I said, “Let’s talk to Miss Honey about it (Miss Honey was arguably the easiest piano teacher in town and a grandmother figure to the children).” While he sat on her piano bench, I shared that Timothy wanted to stop taking lessons. She was sitting in a chair at one end of the bench, and I was standing at the other end. She gave him the usual motivational speech, then she nodded to Timothy and assured him, “God has His hand on your life. He has something really special planned for you.” Timothy turned to look at me, and tears were pouring down his face. It was one of those “moments” and we all knew it, even though no one said a word. He continued with piano lessons, by the way, but more importantly, lived with the destiny of God’s hand and a calling of “greatness” on his life.

When Timothy wanted to try out public school and play football in 9th grade, I had a hard time letting go of my plans for homeschooling. I was leafing through my Bible one morning, searching for an answer, and found a verse about ‘going forth to conquer.’ When Timo wandered into the room, I mentioned, “I think God is showing me that it will be OK for you to go to public school, but only if you go as a conqueror.” Without hesitation, he replied with a grin, “How else is there to go?”

He went, he played, he conquered; and he really loved football! In fact, “be a professional football player” or “get a football scholarship” made it to many of his “Top 10 Goals” lists! Lol But after that one school year, Timo told me God showed him in a dream that he shouldn’t go back to public school – so he didn’t. He was willing to give up football in order to follow God’s leading, but the principal let him play 2 more years as a homeschooler! Eventually, he was kicked out, because… you can’t do that in Oklahoma. Apparently, football was not on his path to greatness. It’s been said that the “good” things in life compete with the “great” things in life, simply for lack of time.

A calling of greatness doesn’t mean a life without struggles or mistakes. No doubt, Timothy made a shining target for the enemy! The key to overcoming the struggle is asking God to change our desires, and the remedy for mistakes is the mercy of God (as Timothy penned in his journal when he was 16):

“Dear God, First of all, I need mercy and grace for my failures. Lord, I want to have good success, but sometimes I want to do my own thing. I know I should seek your kingdom 1st, but at times I don’t want to. Lord, make it where I want You above all, and please shed light on my path, so that I know what great things you have for me. Because deep down, I know you’ve given me a desire to do something Great. Love, Tim.“

We recently sat down with a designer at the local monument company and showed her what we wanted on Timothy’s headstone. As she silently read what we had chosen, she sighed and whispered, “He sounds like a great guy.” “Yes,” I whispered back, “He was.” A great guy who followed a great God.

“For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is his name.” Luke 1:49 The ‘calling of greatness’ is available to all who call on the Lord: “Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11 “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11