You sure this branch will hold?
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This past Monday, I drove my daughter to a cross-country running camp in Joplin, MO. Her father and I signed her up back in June after a very successful but injury-plagued spring track season. She and I talked and joked, stopped along the way to pick up some last-minute supplies, and ate breakfast and lunch, but something began weighing on me the closer we got to our destination. After getting her registered, helping her set up her tent, and checking out the facility, it was time for me to go. The moment I drove out of the camp driveway I started fighting tears. It was the longest drive home I had ever experienced. The first 30 minutes I considered turning around at every exit and going back to get her. For the next 90 minutes, I kept bursting into tears. Through it all, I couldn't understand what was wrong with me. I wanted this experience for her-I knew it would build her character, and I hoped she would have a great time and grow her passion for running. I just couldn't get out of my mind how alone she was-surrounded by strangers. It was the first time I'd ever sent her out into the world alone.
As a parent and a youth worker, I recognize that as hard as I've tried to make my children independent, I have actually sheltered them more than I intended. I have sent them to Christian summer camps in other states, to retreat weekends and other youth group functions. I have allowed them to go to concerts and sporting events in other cities--but always with a group of people I knew and trusted. As long as they were surrounded by other students they had good relationships with and adults I had a good relationship with, I thought it was a good risk. What I realize now is that these trips really weren't much of a risk at all, which is why I was so uncomfortable with the real risk of leaving her in Joplin.
A very wise person counseled me about my fears. She said, "If she isn't allowed to step out of her comfort zone (or yours), she will never learn to deal with tests of faith." It was as if the Lord was speaking directly to me. God does not want us to live in a bubble. He doesn't want us hiding out in our homes or in our churches. Not only does our faith fizzle when it is not tested, but as long as we fail to step outside our comfort zone, we cannot do the work God has set out for us. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.-Matthew 28:19-20.
A truly fulfilling life is not without risks. We will experience moments of doubt and uncertainty. As Matthew has clearly recorded for us, Jesus will always be with us. He has been with us all along. He is with my daughter right now as she waits for her dad to come pick her up. He is with me as I (very anxiously) wait for confirmation they've made it back safely. He's with each of us always, ready to share every moment and every experience with us. If God led you to it, He will lead you safely through it.
As a parent and a youth worker, I recognize that as hard as I've tried to make my children independent, I have actually sheltered them more than I intended. I have sent them to Christian summer camps in other states, to retreat weekends and other youth group functions. I have allowed them to go to concerts and sporting events in other cities--but always with a group of people I knew and trusted. As long as they were surrounded by other students they had good relationships with and adults I had a good relationship with, I thought it was a good risk. What I realize now is that these trips really weren't much of a risk at all, which is why I was so uncomfortable with the real risk of leaving her in Joplin.
A very wise person counseled me about my fears. She said, "If she isn't allowed to step out of her comfort zone (or yours), she will never learn to deal with tests of faith." It was as if the Lord was speaking directly to me. God does not want us to live in a bubble. He doesn't want us hiding out in our homes or in our churches. Not only does our faith fizzle when it is not tested, but as long as we fail to step outside our comfort zone, we cannot do the work God has set out for us. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.-Matthew 28:19-20.
A truly fulfilling life is not without risks. We will experience moments of doubt and uncertainty. As Matthew has clearly recorded for us, Jesus will always be with us. He has been with us all along. He is with my daughter right now as she waits for her dad to come pick her up. He is with me as I (very anxiously) wait for confirmation they've made it back safely. He's with each of us always, ready to share every moment and every experience with us. If God led you to it, He will lead you safely through it.
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