Last night I had a sobering experience. I traveled a very familiar road after work across town. Like I have any many nights, I worked my way through East Chattanooga, squeezed through the tunnel, watch for bullets as I drove past Kanku’s, and turned past the trailhead at the Levee. I pulled in to school and parked in front of the Kindergarten classes and walked into Amy’s classroom as I have done on countless evenings. What I didn’t realize was what would await me as I walked into the cafeteria, sweet tea in one hand, and a Chick-fil-a sandwich in the other.
For the next hour, I sat across the school cafeteria table from my oldest son and listened to the high school guidance counselor discuss high school class scheduling, college preparatory classes, scholarship funding and a four year plan to get your child through high school. I sat among friends, having shared experiences with many of the other parents since pre-K, and yet as I looked across the table, I could not help but to feel excitement for him and sadness for myself.
I am sitting at the end of my time of directly leading him as I shift to a different leadership position in his life, but he is on the precipice of the 8 years that will really start to shape him and
although he is reluctant to admit it, he has a lot of dreams and aspirations in his head.
When I returned home, I was checking out my task list and noticed I had a task to check out this mini-movie called Change The World.
It seemed so appropriate. As he heads off with dreams I can only imagine floating around in his distracted teenage head, I can only hope that he holds on to those dreams and remembers what he was created for. And I hope that he continues to dream and to follow those dreams despite the difficulties that will lie ahead for him.
Most of you are past that point in life, and maybe your dreams have been extinguish. I hope you can spend a little time remembering the dreams of your youth and that despite the callousness of the world, you will find the motivation to not settle and to keep pressing on.
Are you willing to dream? Are you willing to capture that energy and excitement of your youth again? Are you willing to day by day change the world? It’s what you were created for.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:6-10 (New International Version, ©2010)