Be Careful What You Wish For

I've always heard "old folks" say, "Be careful what you wish for because it just might come true." I could never understand why I had to be careful in wished for. It made no sense to me until I got older and was able to understand what they were trying to say -- "Make sure that you fully consider everything that comes along with what it is you are wishing for." Many times we only look at the end result of things and pay little, or no, attention to the process leading to it. We only see what's glamorized in the media or the respect that an esteemed person commands, but rarely do we take time to find out how they got to that point. In the 10th chapter of the Book of Mark, James and John expressed their desire to sit on the right and left hand of Jesus' glory. Jesus' response came in verse 38 where he said, "You don't know what you are asking, Jesus said. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" Jesus knew that they were not fully aware of what would be required of them in order to do so. As we all know, when Jesus carried the cross to Calvary and was crucified, the disciples followed far behind, hid, and Peter even denied knowing Him. I always say, "If your dream doesn't include the work required to accomplish it, then it's merely a fantasy." It is imperative that we count up the costs before we decide to do anything. I can remember my college football coach telling the team, "Everyone wants to be conference champions, but very few are willing to do what it takes to get there." Most players are not willing to do the things that earn them the label of being an "ABCD" (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) type of guy. This is why there are very few "legends." So, before we start asking for things, let's be sure that we count up the costs and determine that it is worth it to us, because if not, we'll end up wishing we were more careful in what we wished for.