Collide

The word even sounds violent.

I'm getting ready to start the final theme in my classroom.  The last 4 weeks we are focusing on JUMP. We are looking at areas in our lives that we want to make jumps.

In order to jump you have to have faith.  Many of my students lack faith in themselves.  Confidence that they "can and will."  I don't think this is just an issue for 11 year olds.  This is an issue many people face every day. The courage, will and faith that you "can and will".

In order to make a jump one has to be willing to collide.  When 2 objects collide, 1 object is always changed. It is through these collisions that we grow as people.  What if you never collided with anything?  Where would your life have taken you?

It's scary to think about, but as adults we sometimes stop colliding on purpose.  When that happens, I think God has a way of putting things in our path to force change- good or bad.  With that comes hope- believing that something good can come from something bad.  So never lose hope.  

Many ordinary people have faced extraordinary collisions where they had to have faith- in themselves and a higher power.  Here are a few that we are looking at this week.

Crew and Passengers on the TITANIC. Many gave up their seats so more women and children could be saved.  Some did not.  Do you remember the musicians at the end?  Even when the ship was sinking, they kept playing!
Aron Ralston- a hiker who cut off his own arm when he was trapped in a 3-foot slot canyon in Canyonlands National Park.
Mark Pfetzer: in May 1996 the media scrambled to document the gripping story of the sixteen-year-old's expedition to Mount Everest. Not only was he the youngest climber ever to attempt the summit, he also witnessed the tragedy of 8 other climbers dying in a sudden storm.
Bethany Hamilton- a 13 year-old surfer whose left arm was bitten off by a shark. It took 20 minutes of paddling to get her back on shore.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/afClM91uQFU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe>
Kendall Ciesemier understood the human struggle at a young age.  At age 11 as she underwent two liver transplants, Kendall started Kids Caring 4 Kids (KC4K), a non-profit that raises money and awareness for highly vulnerable children in Africa by inspiring youth worldwide to care for others in need.
Alex, a 4 year old cancer patient, started her own front yard lemonade stand to help raise money to find a cure for cancer- it's turned into a national movement that has raised millions. 

So really, if ordinary people can do extraordinary things, why can't you? Take a jump, a leap of faith- believe in yourself and collide with something, someone.  Even if you aren't changed, maybe the other object will be.