It happened a few years ago, when a young Indian army officer serving in the dangerous Jammu and Kashmir region, received information that terrorists were firing indiscriminately onto the public at the Jammu Railway Station.

Reaching the spot in a few minutes Lt. Triveni Singh and his group of commandos started attacking the militants in the station. He cordoned off the station and employed a zigzag strategy to come close to the hardcore terrorists. Risking his life the young lieutenant faced indiscriminate fire and also the fury of grenades that were lobbed at him. But with courage born of a passion for duty and country, he managed to get within firing range and killed one of the terrorists.

The second militant dressed in combat clothes, however, while trying to escape threw a grenade at Singh and seriously injured him. This did not prevent Singh from standing up and killing him just as his commanding officer with reinforcements rushed to his help. “My Mission Accomplished sir,” said Singh as he saluted his officer and collapsed, dead.

In the mid 70’s Ed Roberts created the world’s first commercially successful personal computer, and guess who worked for him? Young Bill Gates!

Roberts sold his computer business and bought a farm. Seven years later at the age of 41 he entered medical college. Today Bill Gates is the head of the largest software company in the world, whereas Ed Roberts is a physician in a small Georgia town. Says Roberts, “People think that the PC is the most important work I’ve done, but that isn’t true. Every day I deal with things that are equally if not more important here with my poor patients..!”

His mission was not creating the PC, it was to serve the sick.

Also, so often ‘accomplishing your mission’ is all about going about your daily routine whatever be the circumstances as this little incident will tell you:

In the days before Connecticut became a state, the colonial legislation was in session when a thick darkness blotted out the sunlight. “It is the Day of Judgement!” shouted the people, “let us go home and pray and get ready.”

But one member of the legislature, an old deacon, stood up and said, “Brethren it may be the day of judgement, but if the Lord does come I want Him to find me at my post doing my duty up to the very last moment. Mr. Speaker, I move that candles be brought in and that we get on with the business of the colony.”

I can imagine the joy the young officer felt in Kashmir as he saluted his commanding officer and reported, “Mission Accomplished sir!”

Will that same joy be seen on your face after you die and you finally greet your Lord and your Commander? Will you leap out of your tired, worn out body and shout, “My Mission Accomplished?”

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