It’s time to reopen the pages of By’s Musings. The first working title of this post was Time to Get Back to Work. In the face of what’s happening in the world today, that particular phrase had something of a welcome and satisfying ring to it. Many people would like to be back in the saddle, working regularly, and racing against the clock to meet deadlines. In these past six months, I never stopped working hard, writing each day. It just hasn’t shown up in this blog.
Six months ago, when I published my last post A Short Break from Business as Usual, no one, especially me had an inkling of what was coming. I shut down By’s Musings to concentrate on writing a manuscript and preparing to publish it as a book.
For those six months, that’s where I concentrated my efforts. In September 2019, the working title of my book was A Field Guide to American Higher Education. As I wrote in my September post, I had begun to conclude that this book had no substantial audience clamoring for it. As I noted in my September post, my original ideas were evolving. They were soon to be completely revolutionized.
After that September post, I spent the next month refocusing my thoughts on five questions: 1) For what audience was I writing? 2) What did this audience need? 3) What did this audience want? 4) What would they buy? 5) What did I have to offer this audience? To have a successful book, I had to find the sweet spot at the intersection of the answers to these five questions.
By early October I believed that I had solved that elusive puzzle. I began to work feverously on a new book, An Explorer’s Guide to Biblical Life Planning: Student Edition. What’s in a title? I chose the title of this new book very carefully. Each word or phrase is packed with meaning.
The phrase Student Edition is my attempt at a short-hand to indicate that the book is primarily intended for an audience ranging in age from 16 to 24. In psychological circles, individuals in this age range are referred to as mid-adolescents, late-adolescents, or early adults. In educational circles, these are the ages typically designated for traditional high school and college-age students. This book was written for the typical, Christian high school or college student and other individuals in that age group. It was written for those in that age who find themselves searching for answers to life’s most important questions.
The word Explorer denotes an individual who is actively looking for and seeking something that is currently unknown. They are not sitting back and waiting for the world to be delivered to them on a silver platter. They are engaged in a process that is not always 100% safe and secure. There may be dangers and setbacks along the way. Not every explorer finds riches at the end of their journey. However, they will discover something new about themselves or this world.
The word Guide conveys the idea that this book is not a cookbook that provides recipes for a good life. It is not a series of road maps that show individuals each and every turn that they should take to reach their destination. In addition, it doesn’t assume that the destination is even known at the beginning or part way through the journey.
A guide is an individual or resource which provides helpful information that individuals can use to identify dangers and directions that they should consider taking. A guide can point out things that the individual can’t or chooses not to see. A guide can make suggestions and challenge an individual’s choices. However, at the end of the day, it is still up to the individual explorers to make their own decisions.
The term Biblical obviously refers to the Bible. The Bible is God’s message to the world. It tells the story of the world through God’s eyes. It is a story in four parts: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.
The Bible was written by more than forty different human authors, all inspired by God, over the course of centuries. These authors wrote in their own styles so it contains many different literary genres and tenors. It is a compilation of 66 different books in the form of narratives, dialogues, proverbs, parables, songs, prayers, allegories, historical accounts, and prophetic tales. Nevertheless, with all this diversity, it is remarkably unified with the same themes running through all its pages.
God gave us the Bible to be a sourcebook and our reference for daily living. It contains all we need to know to distinguish right from wrong. In it, we find the standards by which we should live our lives and the principles we need for guidance.
The stories in the Bible are about real people just like us. There are stories of triumphs like Joshua at Jericho and David fighting Goliath. There are stories of defeat and tragedies like the first battle of Ai and the fall of Jerusalem, followed by the Babylonian exile. There are miracles like Daniel in the lion’s den and the Israelites being fed by the manna in the wilderness. There are accounts of the highs and lows of everyday life like the parables of the sower and the prodigal son. There were stories of individuals like Samson who was both a hero of the faith and a tragic figure beset by sin.
God is our refuge. David reminds us in Psalm 18:2 that “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (NIV)
Jesus is our hope and our anchor. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews emphasizes this in Hebrews 18:2: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, both sure and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (NIV)
Where do we learn about God and Jesus? The Bible. Therefore we must go to the Bible. It can serve as an anchor in the storms of life. In it, we can find strength and comfort in our desperate times of trouble. In times of ease and satisfaction, it can provide continued encouragement and counsel.
The Bible serves as a spotlight to show us who we are and who God is. We are not robots nor meaningless globs of matter. We are living creations of an all-powerful God, who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny.
In Life there are few guarantees. If you are like most people, life will not be handed to you on a silver platter. Most of us have to earn our way in this world. We are required to make difficult choices. Although adolescents may not believe it today, as they get older, they will find that the number of decisions to make increase drastically. At times, it may become even more overwhelming then it seems right now.
It may reach the point where people start making excuses or blaming others for their actions. When facing questions about a particular action, people sometimes resort to the Flip Wilson one-liner: “The devil made me do it.” At other times, individuals try to escape the consequences of their actions by relying on the Bart Simpson defense: “I didn’t do it. You didn’t see me. You can’t prove it.”
Throughout your life, you will learn that the devil didn’t make you do it. You did it. You also will learn that you can’t escape the consequences of your actions. You are responsible for the choices you make and what you do.
I can assure you that you are responsible for who you are and who you become. With the exception of the rare accident, you are responsible for most of what happens in your life.
If the thought of such a heavy burden of responsibility scares you, you are not alone. Most people reach this junction sometime in their lives. From watching thousands of people experience this defining moment, adolescents are fortunate to face it at this time in their life. They’re at a crucial point where they have two very important resources available to help navigate these choppy waters. Those resources are time and readily available help.
I can hear some adolescents already shouting, “TIME! I don’t have time. People, especially my parents, are yelling at me, that I must make important choices about my future, NOW!” Even though I probably do not know your parents personally, I am confident that they care deeply about you. Most parents do love their children and are very concerned that they make the right choices for their lives, now and in the future.
If I may be so bold, I have one word for you and your parents – RELAX. As we proceed through the book, I will explain why I think you have time on your side. As you proceed through the book I will explain why time is on your side. I will also outline many of the resources that are available to you. They are there to be used. Make certain you use them wisely.
In higher education and management circles, most experts believe that Planning does not involve a static blueprint. It is a process that can change daily as circumstances change. Thus life planning is not a once and done task. It is not something that is fixed at birth or in early adolescence. Put all that together and what do you have? An Explorer’s Guide to Biblical Life Planning: Student Edition.
Through January things were proceeding nicely. Then the world was turned upside down by a tiny bug, the coronavirus COVID-19. I had a draft of An Explorer’s Guide to Biblical Life Planning: Student Edition finished and in the hands of an editor. Then the world literally stopped. Businesses were forced to close. Schools, churches and governments shut down face to face operations, and move to a virtual world. A whole new set of problems now faced the audience to whom I had addressed my book. Many of my suggestions may no longer applied to this new world. I will have to wait until summer or fall to see if any semblance of the world we knew returns or whether we will be facing a whole new set of challenges.
I can still think and write. Although publishing a book addressing problems which no longer exist seems counterproductive. However, I have another avenue for expressings my ideas. By’s Musings is still available as an outlet for my ideas. With so many of them pent up begging to see the light of day, I will be publishing a new post at least weekly. My next post will provide my new insights into higher education and the medical enterprise. In the meantime, a words of wisdom for us all: Stay safe, take proper precautions, and pray for deliverance.