Potential

I’ve been thinking lately about potential.  There are a couple of reasons that the subject of potential has been on my mind.  Maybe the most obvious reason is the breaking forth of tiny buds on all the trees and shrubs and the appearance of flowers in the garden, just waiting to open into full bloom. 

There’s great potential in the garden for a delightful show of color and scent and visiting wildlife over the next six months.  In fact, with the garden, it almost seems like promise, but we have had storms in the past that destroyed plants and tore down arbors, so it’s still just potential in my book. 

The other reason, I’m sure, is that our community is grieving the loss of a young girl, killed in a car wreck last week.  I’ve thought much about her young life and all of her unfulfilled dreams, and of course her parents’ unfulfilled dreams for her.  Even though I did not know her that well, it’s a tragedy that makes me want to sit down and cry.

Potential.  I’ve thought about the word potential so much that I took out the dictionary and looked it up. 

potential – possible, as opposed to actual

Honestly, that definition has really grabbed ahold of me at the moment.  Potential ends at the grave.  What is actual, stands. 

It brings to mind one of my favorite verses: Ecclesiastes 9:11

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

I may be swift, but I won’t win if I’m not running.  I may have some wisdom, but what if I get lazy?  And we are all subject to time and chance.  Life can end suddenly for anyone.  That’s sobering.  Makes me want to be sure to do today things that should be done today.  When all is said and done, what we have accomplished with our lives is what is actual.  We can have all the potential in the world, but until we act on it, it is still just unfulfilled potential.

Now, before it starts sounding like all of my rambling about unfulfilled potential relates to this beautiful young girl who died, it’s not about her.  Not at all.  I am concerned with my own unfulfilled potential.  I’ve been convicted that when a little voice points out to me that I am able to do something better, I need to get busy doing it better, not just walking around with the thought in my head this has the potential to be so much better.  When I get a little glimpse of something that would be beneficial for my family, something that would require me to make some sacrifices, what if I’m not willing?  

I picture fruit dying on the vine.  Because of me.  

I just really want to be the best that I can be.  And I don’t want to ignore any of those little voices telling me that I could be doing something so much better if only I’d put a bit more into it or make a few more sacrifices.

I’ve come to a conclusion.  Potential is easy.  It’s actual that takes some doin’.