Make Our Mark

It’s 1953 and Ben Hogan is all the rage. He sits atop the golfing world. His hair is slicked back and his short sleeve shirt cannot hide his toned muscles. He’s a phenomenon. He’s strong. His wide smile and trophy-laden arms tell a story of successful youth. Everyone wants to be like him as his name is etched into the record books.

However, time has a way of dismantling even the strongest among us. Time is the great equalizer. Muscles deteriorate and eyes grow dim. The scripture tells us that youth is fleeting and beauty fades. The last picture of Ben Hogan was that of an aged man, worn and weary. His hips hurt. His golf swing was a shadow of its former self. Instead of seeking the fairway’s length, he cut it in half. Instead of trying to manage the dogleg, he laid up and added another stroke.

The latter years did not take away from the former, only that the crowd moved on to the next great golfer. Thankfully, the history books have helped us remember what he had done. Though I’m not here to verify his character, the point is that there are seasons in this life when men and women excel. Those seasons are not forever. Time replaces teachers and preachers, pastors and prophets. Revivals of the past are sometimes forgotten. Powerful services are erased from our memory.

I’m a little nostalgic about Ben Hogan, even though he came and went before my time. I never followed the sport and only found him in a pictorial way. Nevertheless, there was something about the fervor in his eyes; his confident stride and magnanimous personality.

All of this leads me to know that in this life we have a small window to make a difference. Our time to make our mark is limited. Another season will come and we will fade. Whatever we are going to do for the Kingdom must be done now. Otherwise, we will have left nothing and done nothing. We cannot look back on what came before and think that it is sufficient. Nor should we bypass our present, believing that someone else will make up the difference. Our time for Revival is now.

Our strength must be given; fervent prayers prayed. Today is the day of our sacrifice. Bible studies must be taught and disciples must be made. Revival cannot wait. Commitment cannot be put on hold.

Our existence will be determined by this window of time. If the next generation does not remember who we were, at least we will have left something to build upon. If they do not remember us in the days of our strength, if they do not recall the years of our revelations and revivals, maybe they will be able to progress further because of our contributions to the Kingdom.

This is our season; our window. It is our time to build, grow, plant, teach, and pray. Jesus said it like this, “I must work while it is day.”

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

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