Tomorrow we celebrate, not just the 4th of July but the Declaration of Independence. This little country of Patriots 238 years ago said, No! to the tyrannical government and the King of England. Our Declaration does NOT guarantee happiness. It guarantees that our citizens will be free to PURSUE happiness among other things.
Life and the Declaration of Independence cannot guarantee outcomes nor should it even try. But, in this great country we can go after the things that burn in our heart to possess or pursue. As our country “threw down the gauntlet” between itself and England, we as individuals now have the right to also throw down our own personal gauntlets to pursue the passions that drive us and that enhance our lives.
After meeting with my new coach yesterday it became obvious that this pursuit of excellence (like anything worth having in life) will cost me everything. It will cost me my time, my physical labor, my money, my ego, my freedom of choice regarding diet options, and most painful will be the opportunities to spend priceless time with my wife Christine.
But, like the Patriots who decided that living free was worth the struggle and the ultimate sacrifices, we too will have to “throw down the gauntlet” against anyone and anything that would keep us from pursuing our passions.
Howard Hendricks, Past President of Dallas Theological Seminary once said, “You have to learn to say no. In order to say yes to something you have to say no to something else. In fact, you ought to say no to something everyday—-Just to stay in practice.”
I and all of you have and will “throw down the gauntlet” against`all obstacles that stand in the way of attaining our goals, dreams, passions, or hopes. We must say no to giving up. :Throwing Down the Gauntlet” is the ONLY way forward. This is our time! We had best be about our Father’s business.
Douglas E. Graham
Six Pack and Senior 