Lessons from Charles Lindberg

All right, all right…while the chili is simmering and my thoughts are bubbling, I will express to you what we can learn from Charles Lindberg as demonstrated in “The Spirit of St. Louis” as played by James Stewart.

Here are my three points:
Discipline
DETERMINATION
Dying

There you go.
All this is exemplified in “The Spirit of St. Louis” in the character of Charles Lindberg as portrayed through the acting traits of the beloved and spirituous Jimmy Stewart. (Who I would marry…along with Jim Elliot…if they were both alive and unmarried.) Anyways, back to my points:

Discipline
--He did what was NEEDED not (necessarily) what he WANTED. He was in control of his appetites and they were focused on one goal: beating the flying record.

Determination
--He acted. He did NOT put off until tomorrow what should have been done today; he did his duties right away. He acted on his plan. His discipline provided the schedule (structure, plan) while his determination provided the act of actually putting it all together.

Dying
--He was so focused, so one-minded, so DETERMINED to finish the race (literally) that he was willing to die for this cause. He was going to die trying. He didn’t want to have worked so hard for so long to give up without risking all for the glory of the prize.

Does this sound familiar? Does this sound like something we should be doing?

But, do I even have enough discipline to make a plan?
Do I have ANY determination to keep to my plan?
Am I willing to sacrifice all of me in order to obtain the prize and follow the plan with determination?

This would cause a great upset in the world and would be the cause of much pain and sorrow because of the required sacrifice. And yet, how full would the joy be on the day we see Him face to face and know Him as He truly is and are fully finished and conformed to HIS IMAGE?!

I think the joy would be rather full if I would be:
disciplined with determination while willing to die.