Not Far From the Kingdom of God

Wouldn't we like to hear Jesus say to us, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mk 12:34)?  Like the rich young man, we basically keep the commandments and try, especially during Lent, to move closer to Jesus, yet the longing to be better, to move even closer, sometimes blinds us to the good position we are in already.  Yes, Jesus can say..."There is more...go sell what you have, give to the poor, and come, follow me."
How seriously we take the invitation to walk closer determines whether we walk sadly away, or take that big step, as so many have done.  For most, a compromise might be our answer.  Yes, I can give more generously to the poor, perhaps even sell of some of my things to do so, and follow Jesus in the footsteps of compassion, forgiveness and love while not at this point making a radical change of career or state in life. When the young Anthony heard this, he did exactly as Jesus asked and became St. Anthony of the Desert.
Others down the ages at mid-life or other times have made a major switch.  How many of our priests, for example, had other careers before being ordained? Many women entering religious life are doing so after years of working and searching.  It's not impossible to follow this command.   At any rate, we can all make some change to shorten our distance from the Kingdom of God.  What do we hear God asking us in the depths of our heart?
Bro. Rene