Susan Boyle

It's more than likely that by now you've heard Susan Boyle's stirring performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables.  Within a week the online videos of her performance totaled over 40 million having been plastered all over video sharing web sites such as YouTube & DailyMotion and on news sites with the likes of  CNN & MSNBC.  I've embedded a DailyMotion video version of her performance in case you've not run across her video or like me, love listening to her sing.  There's been some talk  of Susan's performance that we should learn to not judge a book but it's cover and the beauty within.

For me there's another inspirational story that Susan inspires. She began singing in her parish church at the age of 12 and sang throughout her life, with an eye toward becoming a performer in Musical Theater.    She put her dream aside while she looked after her ill mother, but never took her eye off of her goal.  Surely putting her mother's well being above her own ambitions demonstrated what our Lord has asked us to do, to love our neighbor.  With her mother now gone and at the age of 47, she once again strikes out to realize her dream.

I think it's her drive regardless of age that I find so inspiring.  At time when my co-workers, who are in my age group talk more about retirement than striking out on a new destiny, I often get caught up in the "Being put out to pasture" mentality.

I think in the next few years, the Lord may have a new chapter for me.  Susan's story inspires me to be open and looking for that opportunity when it presents itself.  We must remember:

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

But in order to take the path God has established for you, you must take the first step of your spiritual journey which is to believe in Christ as your savior.  Christ tells us:

"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."  John 6:27-29