By Heidi McLaughlin –
There is one line in Bob Dylan’s song, “Forever Young” that puts a smile on my face. “May you build a ladder to the stars and stand on every rung”. This lyric may evoke negative emotions in you, but it gets my heart pounding with excitement. It gives me a visual reminder of all the possibilities God has given us in this great country.
Bob Dylan released this song in 1974 on his album called “Planet Waves”. This song was written by him during the era of the Vietnam War; a time when the fear of nuclear war loomed heavily in people conversations. People were afraid! Yet in spite of this unsettled time in history Bob Dylan reminded us to reach higher and seek out opportunities to experience life in a way that would remind us of God’s blessings.
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We are still afraid! I hear the fear of our economic times, the fear of marriages breaking up, bankruptcy, a long hard winter, crops not being harvested, children who have ADHD, autism, additives in our foods… the list is endless. Yet we live in the greatest, richest country in the world and every day I am reminded that we have endless blessings. God’s blessings that He wants to pour out every single day. Listen to what the Bible says: “How we praise God, the Father or our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). So if we have God’s blessings right now as you are reading this, what does it mean to “build a ladder to the stars and stand on every rung?”
Here’s what it means to me.
- Build my life focused on God. Wars, bad economic times, high gas prices, rotten crops, broken relationships will come and go. God’s love and His plans and purposes for me were formed before the foundations of the earth were formed. That will never change. The things in this world may at times feel like they are crushing me, but God’s love will never leave me and I must intentionally keep God as the focal point in my plans.
- Reach for the stars. I am told in 1 Cor. 2:9, that: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” God had given each of us over 700 gifts and abilities for us to use and enjoy. We live in a country where possibilities for doing/achieving/creating/producing are endless. Even though our achievements will bring us great joy and sometimes even “stardom”, our greatest joy and freedom will come when we are free from unforgiveness, guilt, shame and self-imposed responsibilities. The God who created the Rocky Mountains, whales, diamonds and redwood trees has bigger plans for you and me than we could ever possibly imagine.
- Stand on every rung. For me that means to stop being fearful of things that are unusual, different, or out of my comfort zone. I do not want to miss out on the abundant life Jesus gave to me out of His ultimate kindness of dying on the cross for me. Fear is our enemy that stops us from stepping on every gift and missing opportunities that are out there for us.
I know life is hard these days for many people. I see the hunched shoulders, the anxious eyes, the weary conversations. It seems that we are always in the middle of some kind of war. Yet this is our one and only life and in spite of ourselves, God has already blessed us with everything we need.
I want to encourage you with Bob’s first words of the song, “May God bless and keep you always.”Always know that my friend.
Heidi McLaughlin lives in the beautiful vineyards of the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, British Columbia. She is married to Pastor Jack and they have a wonderful, eclectic blended family of 5 children and 9 grandchildren. When she is not working, she loves to curl up with a great book; or golf and laugh with her husband, family and special friends. You can reach her at: www.heartconnection.ca
1 thought on “Forever Young”
I love that song; it always reminds me of Jacob.