"The beginning, is half the whole." - Aristotle
Last night I was a volunteer in the kids rooms at our church for Wednesday night service. Every fifth Wednesday, the regular volunteers get a break (same thing on every fifth Sunday) and others within the church are called into duty.
I'm not sure what it is, but my wife and I get placed in the infant room each time. It is always a struggle for me leading up to it, but once I get situated it all works out just fine. The idea of herding little infants (up to one year olds) can be an overwhelming thought for some of us.
With two of us working the room with six kids, our work was cut out for us. There was the quiet and content Isaiah; the 'its been a long day' Saxton; sweet and happy Katherine; the inquisitive Kent; 'wow whats that' Langdon; and finally 'everything goes in the trash can' Nolan. Each have their own wonderful and distinct personalities which are slowly beginning to evolve.
As I watched...ok, herded...these kids around, it occurred to me that this is really just a very small start for them. Their lives are just in the very early stages of development with a huge world of opportunity before them. They will be shaped by all that is around them and all that they do. We would say these kids can be anything they want to be.
Yet we can say the same thing about ourselves. In your twenties, forties, sixties, older or somewhere in-between, a new beginning is possible. We each may feel that we are in the 'whole of our life' and that we are past the opportunity of new change. Nothing could be further from the truth, a new beginning can take place at any point along the timeline of our life.
All we have to do is have the courage to try something different. An infant attempts new things out of new born curiosity. They reach out to discover possibility in their ever expanding world. My thought to you is to take your well-learned life and attach that new-born curiosity to it. You will see things in a whole new light and change will once again become possible.
_
Last night I was a volunteer in the kids rooms at our church for Wednesday night service. Every fifth Wednesday, the regular volunteers get a break (same thing on every fifth Sunday) and others within the church are called into duty.
I'm not sure what it is, but my wife and I get placed in the infant room each time. It is always a struggle for me leading up to it, but once I get situated it all works out just fine. The idea of herding little infants (up to one year olds) can be an overwhelming thought for some of us.
With two of us working the room with six kids, our work was cut out for us. There was the quiet and content Isaiah; the 'its been a long day' Saxton; sweet and happy Katherine; the inquisitive Kent; 'wow whats that' Langdon; and finally 'everything goes in the trash can' Nolan. Each have their own wonderful and distinct personalities which are slowly beginning to evolve.
As I watched...ok, herded...these kids around, it occurred to me that this is really just a very small start for them. Their lives are just in the very early stages of development with a huge world of opportunity before them. They will be shaped by all that is around them and all that they do. We would say these kids can be anything they want to be.
Yet we can say the same thing about ourselves. In your twenties, forties, sixties, older or somewhere in-between, a new beginning is possible. We each may feel that we are in the 'whole of our life' and that we are past the opportunity of new change. Nothing could be further from the truth, a new beginning can take place at any point along the timeline of our life.
All we have to do is have the courage to try something different. An infant attempts new things out of new born curiosity. They reach out to discover possibility in their ever expanding world. My thought to you is to take your well-learned life and attach that new-born curiosity to it. You will see things in a whole new light and change will once again become possible.
_
