“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”
Matthew 7:11
While in London, I took the opportunity to steal away to an old
cemetery. I noticed that almost all the tombstones, including the
child’s, had the words “Rest in Peace” inscribed on them.
I wondered: How can you rest in peace if you died with all your
potential inside? As the wet, misty rain formed dew drops on my
cheeks, I walked away thinking: What a tragedy it is for a child to
die at a tender age, before he has the opportunity to realize his full
potential.
Immediately a quiet voice screamed in my head: Is it not a
greater tragedy if those who lived to old age also carried their books,
art, music, inventions, dreams, and potential to the grave? Suddenly
the rain seemed to turn to sweat as I pondered the awesome implications
of this question. One of my greatest fears is that many who still
walk the streets of our world, perhaps some who are reading this
book, will also deposit in the cemeteries of their communities the
wealth of potential locked inside them. I trust that you will not allow
the grave to rob this world of your latent, awesome potential.
There are five billion people on this planet. Each one is very
special, unique, original, and significant. All possess a genetic combination
that codes them as distinct individuals whose fingerprints
cannot be duplicated. There is no one like you now, nor will there
ever be another. Each of us—whether black, brown, yellow, red, or
white—was conceived by destiny, produced by purpose and packaged
with potential to live a meaningful, fulfilling life. Deep within
you lies a seed of greatness waiting to be germinated. You have been
endued with natural talents, gifts, desires, and dreams. All humanity,
in all cultures, races, and socio-economic situations, lives with the
natural instinct to manifest this potential.
There is no one like you now, nor will there ever be another.
