Brenda’s Blog – November 12, 2013
“I didn’t think there was anything outside of Longview, Hallsville, and Marshall. Then I went to China.”
The student told of his overseas study adventure as part of the chapel service. His naturally worn cowboy attire told me he was indeed a native Texan. The first sentence stayed with me. What is opening my world right now? What amazes me and creates a sense of awe?
I thought of another young man from Appalachian America who left home for the first time to spend a semester at Disney World. He returned to Kentucky with a deeper appreciation for his strong roots and his unfurled wings.
In college my parents bought a ticket for a friend to accompany me to North Carolina. It was her first plane trip. Her emotional response as we crossed the country touched me. That trip began a lifetime of discovery for her.
We go to Christian colleges and universities to “stretch and bless the next generation of leaders…to the glory of God.” We leave stretched and blessed. Their world is full of hope and promise. Their world is unhindered by geographical boundaries. Their energy for change is contagious.
Reduced options is one of the symptoms of aging. Our worlds get smaller; our walls grow higher; our healthy restlessness diminishes.
I may never challenge the Great Wall of China again but new roads lie ahead. I am not ready to call it quits. I am still eager to wake up each morning with, “Hello, world, where are we going today?”