You in Five YearsSample

Mauro Prosperi is a walking miracle.

In 1994, Mauro and a friend began a 250K race. (For my American friends, that's over 155 miles.)

A massive dust storm occurred in the middle of the longest day of this endurance race. It left them completely bewildered and disoriented. Mauro got separated from his friend and the rest of the runners. He didn't know which way he was going, and he totally lost sight of the course.

When the sandstorm ended, the landscape looked entirely different as all the sand had moved, and every landmark Mauro had previously seen was gone. But he kept running despite instructions to shelter in place if he got lost. The problem was Mauro was running in the wrong direction. He kept going in that direction for miles.

Mauro ran through the Sahara Desert without any water. He survived by eating dry food stored in his pack, drinking his urine, and even eating live bats. He finally found a shelter where he could get out of the weather. He waited there and began hallucinating. Finally, he stumbled upon some local shepherds and goat herders who took him in, only to discover that he was now in Algeria.

After a week in the hospital, Mauro eventually returned home to Italy, where it took his body over two years to recover, leaving permanent damage to his liver and kidneys.

Because Mauro disregarded the advice of the race organizers, he started running in the wrong direction and kept running in the wrong direction. The more lost he got, the worse things got.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about Mauro's story. He wanted to go in the right direction. But his story illustrates that good intentions don't guarantee we arrive at the right destination. Good intentions don't guarantee we end up where we want to go.

I want to ask you a question today. Where are you headed? Are you headed in the right direction? Are you going down a path that will take you where you want to go?

Put another way, who are you becoming? Are you becoming the kind of person you want to be? Is the path that you're going down going to take you there?

This plan is entitled "You in Five Years." I heard pastor and author Levi Lusko deliver a sermon with this title several years ago. He told Mauro's story and asked important questions that helped me make critical shifts in my life. I hope to share some of the most potent ideas from Levi's message and some things God stirred in me after hearing it.

The person you will be in five years is the direct result of the choices and direction you embrace today. I fear that we're a bit like Mauro Prosperi. We're running, but not necessarily in the best direction.

The foundational principle of this plan is that we tend to overestimate what we can do in one year and underestimate what God can do in five years. With God's grace, imagining what is possible in your life is impossible.

However, life's storms often disorient us, steering us in the wrong direction. Throughout this plan, I want to ensure you move in the right direction. Don't underestimate what God can do. The Bible offers us the guidance we need to get back on course. So, let's get started!