Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr, makes the statement that most people are putting in more effort to “get to the top” than they are in finding out what is really at the top (or the bottom, for that matter). As the American monk, Thomas Merton put it, we may spend our whole life climbing the ladder of success, only to find when we get to the top that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.
This certainly causes one to think. As we work, strive, and strain for that next rung, what are we reaching for? Do we know? For some it is the ladder they have been led to believe that they are supposed to climb because . . . well, it is the ladder everybody climbs because they are supposed to. But what does that mean?
For so many of us, we have been told since we were young, the path we are expected to follow, whether that has been handed down by family or society. But what if, just what if – God has other plans for our lives? He created us, and He knows in advance, the purpose for which He made us. If that is the case, and I would contend that it is, perhaps we should consult Him as opposed to following some prescribed societal plan.
If we would do that, it just might help ensure that our ladder is leaning on the right building. And getting to the top will truly be satisfying.