Mr. Pearl sat by the fire on a cold December morning. A cup of coffee in his hand, his favorite album on vinyl, his phone switched off, and (for now) no one interrupting. In other words, perfection.
It had been a busy, almost overwhelming week, between the end of year push at work and the seemingly unending gauntlet of holiday meals, parties, gift exchanges, and unforeseen expenses. Sure, he thought, I’m grateful. But I’m also exhausted.
Having carved out this free morning for himself, Mr. Pearl had been reading Beyond Order by Jordan B. Peterson – a friend had gifted it to him long ago – and couldn’t quite let go of a certain passage:
“You need to know where you were, so that you do not repeat the mistakes of the past. You need to know where you are, or you will not be able to draw a line from your starting point to your destination. You need to know where you are going, or you will drown in uncertainty, unpredictability, and chaos, and starve for hope and inspiration.”
I don’t know if I have a clear idea of any of that, Pearl thought. In the midst of his day-to-day life, he couldn’t remember the last time he had stopped to reflect, beyond a simple thumbs up or thumbs down.
Well, he continued, it’s the end of the year. Good a time as any to see how I’m doing.
Pearl took out a piece of paper – his phone was still off, and he intended to keep it that way – and wrote six words:
VOCATIONAL, RELATIONAL, SPIRITUAL
PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
Setting Focus on Things High and Low
Looking at the words in front of him, Mr. Pearl thought about the past twelve months. Overall, it seemed like an average year. But upon further investigation, he realized that wasn’t quite accurate.
There were a lot of successes he hadn’t noticed at the time. He had been more intentional in going to the gym, and was now in better shape than he was in college. He completed a couple big work projects, which opened up opportunities he hadn’t before had the courage to dream. And he had recently reconnected with his brother after a strained few years.
He also noted that, while he had gone above and beyond at work – logging extra effort and hours – many of his relationships had suffered. Even when he was with family and friends, he was either too tired or too distracted to be really present. Worse yet, he had convinced himself he was a people person, and had been blind to ways in which he unintentionally hurt those he cared about the most.
When it came to his faith, there was a long pause. Honestly, he thought, it’s fine. I read my Bible and some faith-based blogs. But inwardly, he knew something was off. At the very least, I’m probably missing something here too.
Mr. Pearl sat back, took a sip of coffee, and let out a sigh. Wow, he mused, there are seeds, sprouts, and weeds I hadn’t noticed.
Direction Determines Destination
So much of Pearl’s life, he began to realize, was about getting through – the day, the week, the project, the difficult situation. He didn’t seem to dwell much on the past, and aside from a few holidays and vacations, he was never really present. Which brought him to the future.
Where am I going?
He did have goals! Though usually, they were general: get the kids out of the house, work till retirement, save for that vacation. And while those were motivating, in this particular moment, they didn’t seem particularly aspirational.
Perhaps, he thought, I could set my sights higher. What if I made a new list of clear goals that would excite and sustain my attention and effort, even in the hard (even boring) seasons? And what if I actually took concrete steps to make them happen?
I want to make a difference, Mr. Pearl exclaimed out loud, breaking the morning’s calm. For God. For my family. For the world around me. For myself.
He looked across the room, his eyes falling on the family Nativity scene – Mary, Joseph, and a newborn Jesus in a manger. A mighty God who entered humanity to save the world he loved.
Now that, he thought, is a good direction to orient myself and my life.
At the end of the year. And the years to come.
