Biola University - Biolan Yearbook (La Mirada, CA)

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Visions are the ability to peel back the present reality to look at the wonder- ful non-existent. In visions there are no rules or guidelines. No one can tell you you ' re doing it wrong or that the idea is stupid. It is the believing in the un-tangible, hoping in the impossible, or maybe just playing with the unexplored. It is infatu- ation with the yet-to-be. This affair can also be painful, for visions make us accountable to our own imagination. Only we know what we might have been able to do. Visions can go wrong — leading the per- son down a road that comes to a dead-end at discontentment and disappointment. The rich and famous man that comes to the end of the road often wishes that there was something else to go after. Visions can also fall short. The middle- aged suburban-dweller looks back over the years past and thinks Is this all there is? Visions of greatness are often exchanged for the low lights of the predictable. If the vision is the Point A and the ful- filled dream is Point B, then the line be- tween the two is talent and skill. Visions in themselves are nothing more than exercises of the imagination, once they are connected with the abilities and talents of a person, they suddenly rush from the theoretical to the obtainable. Once visions and skill are joined, the accountability is even worse for now the only thing stopping the person is his commitment to the idea. But commitment is a dangerous word. It reminds us that those who we admire for their success had to fight for it — even they were not exempt from the hard work and pain. Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men. — Proverbs 22:29 Thomas Edison, while inventing the light bulb would sleep on a cot in his laboratory. He said that inventing was one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. The man that stands before kings will not do so on the first day on the job. This man works above and beyond what he is called to do. He knows that time and hard work bring success. Christians are called to his high standard to dream and to struggle after these dreams. The dreams do not have to be spiritual. In fact, skilled man mentioned in Proverbs is not in the ministry. Proverbs is merely mak- ing an observation. People must strive for knowledge and appreciate quality, whether spiritual or secular. The dreams are the easy part. If all we do is dream, though, we are letting the world pass us by. Without pursuit of these dreams they will wither, dry up, and blow away. The skills and talents that God has given us are in our personal car, and we must apply them, develop them, and invest them. Nothing is more tragic than the man that buries his talents for safe keeping. Talents are made to be spent. Once they are, how- ever, they grow upon themselves. The development of skill is not easy, glamorous, or quick. That is exactly why those who commit themselves to their skill will stand before the king. People will always respect such people, partly for their skill and partly for the commitment they have made to the skill ' s constant progress and development. Mark Salo ;