“SAME NAME.” THAT’S THE TITLE OF A NEW REALITY TV SERIES. I watched the first episode last evening. And I must say, it was mildly entertaining. It’s about celebrities trading places for a few days with total strangers who just happen to share the same name. It reminded me of “Wife Swap,” another reality show. By switching places, they get to see how the other half lives.

This “name” thing sets my mind to whirling. Suppose I had the same name as some famous person? Would that impact me in any way? Would it make a difference in the way I think and live? And what about my family name? Am I careful to guard it so that it will not be soiled in any manner? Name and character are so linked together.

What’s in a name? Plenty, according to Justin Kaplan and Anne Bernays, authors of the book, The Language of Names. “Names penetrate the core of our being.” In the section of their book where they discuss literary names, the authors point out that English novelist Charles Dickens was a great master at naming his characters. Seth Pecksniff, Wilkins Micawber, Tiny Tim, Sir Mulberry Hawk, and Thomas Gradgrind are just a few examples of characters whose names reflect who they are.

If God, the Author and finisher of our faith was to give you a name, what do you think it might be? Remember, that name would reflect your character—who you are at the core of your being. Certainly it would give one pause.

As a Christian, I bear a name that must be above reproach. I share the same name with countless others. We get to spend as much time as we care to with the greatest Celebrity of all time. What does the world think of Him by what they see in us? Bringing honor to His name is of extreme importance. Our lives really have only one purpose—to reflect our Lord. We must guard against doing anything that will cause others to profane His holy name.

TALK ABOUT A DREAM REALIZED! To some it would appear silly, but to this senior citizen, it was a momentous occasion—something worth celebrating about. Strike up the band! Shoot off some fireworks! Blow the trumpets!

You see, when I was a boy, I fantasized about owning a Schwinn Cruiser. I knew a rich kid that had one, but also knew that it was out of the question for me. I was born on the wrong side of the tracks. My parents were anything but wealthy. And they believed that if you wanted something, you ought to work for it. As I recall, a new one went for about $30.00. No chance, not on my meager allowance, I always had to settle for some cheap, second-hand, broken-down version—some that were so bad that it was questionable as to whether they were really bicycles at all!

Well, the years passed and so did my memory. Until I saw Pee Wee Herman riding one in a movie some years ago. It rekindled the desire in me. Oh, I had possessed some multi-speed bikes over the years, but a Schwinn Cruiser? Now that’s a different matter. There back in now, you know—it’s all about the retro craze. But when I see one, it’s usually mounted by a senior.

Well, a short time ago I was walking in the mall and strode by the Sears store and there it was—at real beauty—white with black trim. It was beckoning me. I didn’t act immediately. Oh no, not right away.
I waited for it to go on sale. And finally it did. So I made up my mind to descend into my childhood once again—to a time of innocence, a season of carefree living when my biggest concern was, if I was riding one, would the girls notice?

So I took the plunge. I forked over $179.00 at Sears (it was on sale). I didn’t care if the girls notice anymore, because I married the best in the world. In fact, I don’t care who sees me when I’m cruising down the way. I’m on my Schwinn! Schwinn Cruiser! I’m king of the road. The wind is in my face and I feel like a million bucks. And the memory of those sad boyhood years have been swallowed up by the magnificence of the moment.

So if you happen to see me out on one of my excursions, know this: there rides a man whose dream has been fulfilled. See him ride in triumph and bliss!

IT STARTED LIKE SO MANY EVENINGS. Mom and Dad at home and Jimmy playing after dinner. Mom and Dad were absorbed with jobs and did not notice the time. It was a full moon and some of the light seeped through the windows. Then Mom glanced at the clock. “Jimmy, it’s time to go to bed. Go up now and I’ll come and settle you later.”

Unlike usual, Jimmy went straight upstairs to his room. An hour or so later his mother came up to check if all was well, and to her astonishment found that her son was staring quietly out of his window at the moonlit scenery. “What are you doing, Jimmy?” “I’m looking at the moon, Mommy.” “Well, it’s time to go to bed now.” As one reluctant boy settled down, he said, “Mommy, you know one day I’m going to walk on the moon.”

Who could have known that the boy in whom the dream was planted that night would survive a near fatal motorbike crash which broke almost every bone in his body, and would bring to fruition this dream 32 years later when James Irwin stepped on the moon’s surface, just one of the 12 representatives of the human race to have done so.

So, what do you dream about? You haven’t given up dreaming have you? If so, they may as well pronounce you dead! Dreams, goals, aspirations are what keep us alive.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about my dreams. I have seen some come to pass and others yet to be. The writing of a book was my latest, but I still have a few more waiting to be realized. It keeps me alive, motivated. George Bernard Shaw said it well: “You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'”

I believe you can tell a great deal about a person if you know what they dream about. Quite often that is where they will concentrate their resources, energy, and time. To achieve anything worthwhile requires vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember, all things are possible for those who believe.

I’VE BEEN PRIVILEGED IN LIFE TO HAVE MANY FRIENDS, but none better than Everett Charles Burch. Somehow I knew a few years ago when we first met at church that we would become soul mates. We just clicked. That’s how it is with some people you meet along the way. Perhaps a lot of it had to do with our common age or with the fact that we thought alike. I don’t know. I can’t explain it. It just happened.

And now he’s gone. My buddy. And I miss him. I miss his smile, quick wit, sense of humor, and the fact that he was such a Christian gentleman.

I, along with many others, was the beneficiary of his many talents as he went about doing good for others and for his Lord. But those were external gifts that he possessed. It’s his spirit that I will miss most—his generous and kind manner. To have a friend like him is to possess a great treasure, the kind that outlives life itself.

I agree with George Eliot who penned these words: “Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words, but to pour them all out just as they are, chaff and grain together knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.”

To know that I will resume our friendship on the other side is more comforting than words can express. I look forward to the day when once again we will laugh together, worship together, and serve our wonderful Lord.

Thanks Everett for sharing a bit of your life with me.