Greatness

 

To obtain Greatness

One might inquire,

What is the key?

Must we inspire?

 

Another would rise and say

How can we obtain that which we know not?

What is Greatness?

Generation to generation,

Greatness is sought.

 

The young and prideful man

Walks here and there,

Appearing to have wisdom above all

Yet in solitude,

He is in despair.

 

He is seeking and searching

Day and night,

And for all that he has

He lacks true sight.

 

To obtain Greatness, he dreams

It consumes his fiery soul.

Yet with wealth, health, and fame

Greatness is always a step ahead, it seems.

 

I believe, he said as he began to rise

Greatness is wealth!

Fame!

To earn credence to my name!

 

To gain more than the aged man

While still young,

To have overflowing wealth

To earn the greatest income.

 

Greatness is a position,

Respect!

An identity I have sought

And I believe in short time

I will have obtained, this Greatness

This Greatness I have bought

 

With a smirk on his face

He buttoned his coat,

And sat down, piously

Consumed by his gloat.

 

Oh! What great words, he thought

I have spoken this day

His attention was lost

As the moderator began to say,

 

Well then friends

Is there another suggestion?

Insight or wisdom

To answer the question,

How do we obtain Greatness?

 

A middle-aged man raises his voice:

We must first define greatness

Before we obtain it

And I believe, says he

Greatness is choice.

 

 

To choose to rise above it

And to exceed the norm,

To choose, not our fate

But to reach the high standard

That is so often, only gandered.

 

He continues,

Once we have defined it

We must learn how to obtain it,

In this, there are many venues.

 

I believe to obtain Greatness

Which is choice to exceed

We must have good will, or cause

To find this choice within us

It is passion that we need.

 

If we are passionate enough to care

What is our lot in life

Then we will do or dare

Whatever necessary

To have greatness by our side.

  

You see my friends, said he

It’s simple mathematics

Passion plus action times choice,

Equals Greatness:

The method to obtain it.

 

Many around the room applauded

For this was smart, indeed!

The middle aged man smiled

For the response, he was pleased.

 

The moderator noticed,

During the applaud

The oldest man there

Sat still as stone

As if this were all a façade.

 

What have you to say sir?

Said the moderator,

You sit quiet as if you know more than we

And you refrain from applaud or praise.

Have you obtained a greater answer?

Throughout your longer days?

 

Yes! Said the young man,

You are frail and weak!

Poor and old!

How can you sit so quietly,

Appearing to know secrets untold?

 

He’s right! Said the middle-aged man,

Do you dare speak?

Do you dare best that which I have said?

Speak now old man,

For soon you shall be dead!

 

Another raised his voice here,

And another there.

All in agreement

Bickering like little children.

 

People began to rise,

And fists hit the table,

Uproar and confusion stormed the room

Until…Boom!

 

All eyes fell on the old man,

He did not stand,

For he wasn’t able.

 

His voice was strong

Though his body frail,

He raised his fingers towards Heaven

As he began to tell

 

Who here is great? He asked,

If so, then rise.

No one dared stand

The room was all eyes.

 

Have we all forgotten our Creator?

Was His plan for us Greatness?

And, he continued,

How then can you grant the answer to this mystery

If no one here has obtained it?

 

Wasted thought and time

Searching for a deeper meaning.

What does Webster say?

Or the “Great Oprah Winfrey”?

 

How can man, whom is seeking

Grant the key to the seeker?

From his own mind and wisdom?

Is man now our Great Teacher?

 

Nay! said the old man,

Nay, man is not our teacher!

A tear filled his eye,

Man is weaker now, than times of old.

And this truth, in past has been told.

 

You call me weak

You call me  poor.

You say I’m frail and fright,

In this, you are right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My body has aged

And bones have broken

But my spirit is strong

And my mind a token

Which has contained from experience

Secrets unspoken.

 

And fright? Yes,

I am frightened,

That the things once held dear by our fathers,

Will end.

 

You see, he said

The answer really is simple

Not as complicated as it seems.

It’s found in our Creator

Not in success, wealth, or dreams

 

But I would venture to ask,

Who here is still now interested?

Surely we with great minds would include Him in the equation!

Or is our wisdom so supreme we are able to find evasion?

 

From where does wisdom come?

The answers to all we seek?

Does it fall like rain from the sky?

On all except the poor and weak?

 

Or did you go on some wild venture?

To the farthest ends of the earth?

And say, I have discovered Wisdom!

And now you have Greatness and worth?

 

Nay, I say!

Wisdom comes from God

As do all things!

Fools believe they are wise,

And pride will make them fall!

Who I ask…who is the wisest of all?

 

Can He not grant the answer?

How do we obtain Greatness?

Who here has asked Him?

Or do we fear His confrontation?

 

The old man sighed,

Tears filled his eyes.

He raised hand, pointed to all

And quietly said

 

The answer, I have

And I will now give.

To obtain Greatness we must…

 

He whispered so softly

And ceased to live.

 

The room fell to silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

They all stared in disbelief

When they heard his heart stop.

 

Did you hear the answer?

The young man cried!

No! Did you hear it?

His associate begged,

He said it right before he died!

 

No one had heard the answer,

The key.

They realized their folly,

This, he had helped them see.

 

But they had no answer,

For he had died so suddenly,

Maybe, one thought,

It was meant for us to find and study.

 

As they all left that day

Some shocked, some sad

There was still one question that remained in their minds.

It is a question that is still asked today,

And has been passed throughout time.

 

It will baffle and confuse many,

And others will see it.

But the question is…

How do we obtain it?

 

 

 

The key is not hidden,

But rather in plain sight

In God’s Word

The Everlasting Light

 

Will you find the answer?

Who knows?

Are you searching?

 

Greatness is not a competition,

Or a battle of wits.

It’s simply an unending journey…

That we must never quit.