He feared he was wasting time. It was New Year’s Eve in 1972 and Roberto Clemente boarded a plane intended to bring aid to Nicaragua following a terrible earthquake. It was overloaded, but was determined to get supplies to the quarter-million lives that were now desperate. Instead, the plane disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean with his body never recovered.
He lived by a simple and rational mantra:
Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this Earth.
As I studied Edwards’ fifth resolution, this familiar refrain that I have long sought to incorporate into my own life kept coming to mind.
Jonathan Edwards Resolution 5
Edwards’ Resolution #5 (in my modernized language)
Instead of wasting time, seize it and use it in the most productive ways possible.
Baseball great, Roberto Clemente, had a saying about wasting time, and it rings true in light of Jonathan Edwards’ fifth resolution. He used to say “Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this Earth.”
Waiting for Someday is Wasting Time
There are many Proverbs speaking to good use of time. Even so, I think James says it quite well and is fitting here:
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” – James 4:14-15 (NLT)
Though there are many aspects of my life where I am a reforming, two of them come immediately to mind as I meditate on this in respect to the resolution.
Perfect is the Enemy of Progress
The first attribute is that of being someone who has to have everything perfect before taking action. However, the enemy of progress is most often the pursuit of perfection. That’s the way I am built. I’m someone who likes to imagine the destination and then chart the perfect course for getting there. That’s all well and good. But things rarely go according to plan, no matter how perfectly they’re planned.
Something I have learned over the course of my years is that it’s most often okay – better in fact – to move forward with less than perfect. From there, we can use an iterative process to work toward closer to perfect. After all, that’s pretty much how we are cast in this life. We’re broken and imperfect souls. We are called to Christ, who perfects and is perfecting us to God’s will.
Make a Decision
The second attribute of which I am admittedly flawed (but reforming nonetheless), goes along with the first. I am indecisive. It’s why I have always been terrible with multiple choice tests. I’ll take the time to rationalize every response while creating a back story for which EVERY choice can be the BEST choice.
Sometimes, the cookie-cutter or paint-by-numbers approach that is our standardized school and work life is hardly ideal. It’s those brave souls who connect their own dots and are willing to zig where others zag that stand out and make a difference.
But you have to be bold enough to make a decision. You have to get yourself off the fence before you end up with a sore crotch.
You have to be willing to get on the plane if it means making a difference.
Otherwise, you’re wasting your time on this earth.
It’s Not Wasting Time… Even In Tragedy
The cynic might be quick to quip that Clemente’s overzealous desire to live his mantra ultimately cost him his life. Perhaps it’s true. Perhaps it’s otherwise. Regardless, his legacy isn’t isolated to this one-time tragedy.
Yes, Roberto Clemente is among the best baseball players to have lived. Yet, he’s remembered also as a great humanitarian, father, husband, teammate and more. His remarkable standing as a human being of character and conviction is truly his lasting legacy.
As a player, stood as one of only a handful of Latino players during the ’60s and ’70s, challenging stereotypes and creating a path for others to follow. That was true of his baseball talent, his work ethic, and his character.
Today, the Roberto Clemente Award is awarded by Major League Baseball annually in recognition of a player “who best represents the game of Baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” It coincides with Roberto Clemente Day set aside by MLB to “honor the legacy of the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star.”
What are you waiting for?
[special]You belong on the field!
So get in there and make something happen! Dare to be bold enough to get off the fence and experience being part of something so much bigger.[/special]