Continuing to Grow
(audio version)
Psalm 56:3-4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
3 when I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I am not afraid;
what can flesh do to me?
When I was in MYF about a hundred years ago, one of the activities at a church overnight was to create a banner with our personal motto or mission statement. Our youth minister was especially good at encouraging conversation without preaching to us. His message to us throughout the year was really pretty simple and clear: You’re about to leave for college and start to design your own life. What is going to guide your life? What will be your lodestar?
On this night, he had all sorts of books, Bibles, hymns, and popular music for us to explore and piles of fabric, paints, glues, and poster boards. We spent hours reading and talking about what we were finding. We were soooooo deep and philosophical! After a couple of hours of this, the young minister shooed us off to think and work by ourselves and create our personal banners.
I settled on Robert Browning’s quote: A man’s reach should exceed his grasp (edited, of course, to become “a woman’s reach should exceed her grasp” because I was, after all, a budding feminist!).
My banner was on rough burlap with colorful triangles of orange and red felt and a long, jagged yellow lightning strike. I’m sure there was some meaning in there, although I no longer remember what that might have been. But the words have stuck with me and, in fact, have been a steady reminder over the years of how I want to approach every day.
I live a pretty comfortable life. I’ve stretched a lot in my lifetime, but I can’t say that I’ve stretched as far as I should have. I’m sure that the girl who first landed on those words had bigger dreams than I have fulfilled. In fact, I know she did.
Falling back into the comfortable is awfully easy to do. Reaching out to do something that’s uncertain and unfamiliar is hard and scary. Even at my age, I want to grow and that means that I must be willing to continue to reach out because growth only happens when we reach beyond our comfort zones.
Prayer: Help me not to fear the unknown but to step ahead knowing that you will comfort and support me in all ways. When I stumble, you will reach out to lift me; when I fall, you will pick me up. In all things, you will be my strength and shield.
Joan Richardson
(audio version)
Psalm 56:3-4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
3 when I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I am not afraid;
what can flesh do to me?
When I was in MYF about a hundred years ago, one of the activities at a church overnight was to create a banner with our personal motto or mission statement. Our youth minister was especially good at encouraging conversation without preaching to us. His message to us throughout the year was really pretty simple and clear: You’re about to leave for college and start to design your own life. What is going to guide your life? What will be your lodestar?
On this night, he had all sorts of books, Bibles, hymns, and popular music for us to explore and piles of fabric, paints, glues, and poster boards. We spent hours reading and talking about what we were finding. We were soooooo deep and philosophical! After a couple of hours of this, the young minister shooed us off to think and work by ourselves and create our personal banners.
I settled on Robert Browning’s quote: A man’s reach should exceed his grasp (edited, of course, to become “a woman’s reach should exceed her grasp” because I was, after all, a budding feminist!).
My banner was on rough burlap with colorful triangles of orange and red felt and a long, jagged yellow lightning strike. I’m sure there was some meaning in there, although I no longer remember what that might have been. But the words have stuck with me and, in fact, have been a steady reminder over the years of how I want to approach every day.
I live a pretty comfortable life. I’ve stretched a lot in my lifetime, but I can’t say that I’ve stretched as far as I should have. I’m sure that the girl who first landed on those words had bigger dreams than I have fulfilled. In fact, I know she did.
Falling back into the comfortable is awfully easy to do. Reaching out to do something that’s uncertain and unfamiliar is hard and scary. Even at my age, I want to grow and that means that I must be willing to continue to reach out because growth only happens when we reach beyond our comfort zones.
Prayer: Help me not to fear the unknown but to step ahead knowing that you will comfort and support me in all ways. When I stumble, you will reach out to lift me; when I fall, you will pick me up. In all things, you will be my strength and shield.
Joan Richardson
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