I love quotes. I have put several above that I continue to think about almost daily. What the authors of these quotes have put into print is wisdom sought for, inspiration needed, and admonition that is essential for one’s growth.
I am reminded daily to submit to God’s sanctification process in my own life. I am far from the man I desire to be. I long to be more like Jesus. I desire to be a thoughtful rather than reactionary person. I do want to be brave, but given the opportunity I would rather act courageously. It is the wisdom of others that is given by God that causes me to pause and examine my own life and see the possibilities more clearly. “What if it takes real pain to experience deep and abiding hope?” And so, I press into these thoughts of others and their words, His Words, and I come out on the other side, and I am able to see hope more clearly and it is a hope that inspires.
I was recently on a college campus and had the opportunity to meet with students, speak with students and give a talk to a gathering of students in my dear friend’s home (THANK YOU, Johan). A number of these students were getting ready to leave for Central America. I spoke about “taking risks” for the sake of The Gospel, God’s good news and I asked this question that was posed to me by my dear friend, Skip, many years ago:
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
Several days later I would receive a photo from Central America as a student was about to speak to a gathering of people. She was to share the story of Jesus and His love and at this level, it was outside of her comfort zone. As my friend stated, “She was AMAZING.” She wrote this on her arm: “Take Risks!”
And then I received a photo from a young lady who calls me “Uncle Steve.” She had written “What would you do if you weren’t afraid” on her arm as a reminder and as a motivator. And by the way, I believe she ran a personal best that day.
