Harold Keller / L’Observateur / July 15, 2000

Helen Keller, blind since early childhood and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was once told it must be terrible to be unable to see. To this, sheresponded, “Not really. The people I feel sorry for are those who can see,but have no vision.” The Bible is very clear about the importance of havinga vision, as in Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”A vision is something seen otherwise than by ordinary sight, something beheld as in a dream, or existing. I think everyone at some time in theirlife will have a vision. Very few people, however, hold onto that dream.They give up and their vision fades away.

I have always been a big dreamer. When I was young, I wanted to be a big-league baseball player. I could see myself hitting a home run in the bottomof the ninth, bases loaded, losing by three runs, and winning the game. Iwas the hero! (That vision never came to pass.)After the Navy, I went to school and wanted to be a coach. I just knew Iwould be the kind of coach for whom every kid wanted to play. (That visionnever came to pass.)I found myself at 40, a broken man, without a job, no purpose in life, definitely no vision, and no will to live. It was in that state that Godfinally got my attention. I’m almost 66 years old and today, I’m excitedabout life, not afraid of death, and have a vision. The difference betweenmy vision now is that it’s God’s plan for my life and not mine.

The problem with most people, especially our children, is that most of them don’t have a vision for their future. They just cruise through life,existing, not really living, one day at a time. Many people are so worriedabout making a living, they forget to have a life, with purpose. Having ameaningful life is the reason God created us.

I am a firm believer that life is not worth living, except on the positive impact it has on another human being.

This week, an old Chinese proverb caught my attention. It said, “If yourvision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for 10 years, planttrees. If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people.”

HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group.

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