When We Grow

My kids are shifting to a new school this Fall and while I'm excited for them, they are (understandably) a bit anxious.  My son said yesterday, with a bit of sadness in his voice, "the thing is that I was so comfortable at the old school and now, I just don't know..."

Totally normal right?  What 12 year old wouldn't have the same reaction? 

Old school- comfortable.  New school- unknown  and scary.

I felt the same way when I went to Washington, DC for undergraduate studies. I distinctly remember feeling that if I could get through it, I could probably get through anything.  


Life is often like this: when we are stretched, we grow.  When we step out of the boat, we get a chance to drown or to walk on water.  When we serve someone we previously considered alien, we destroy a boundary.  When we pray deeply, we cross a bridge.  When we give freely, we become more generous.

I'm doing new work these days, out of the boat kind of work.  Higher education is very different and universities move s-l-o-w-l-y.  Staying in K-12 education was comfortable, this is, similar to my 12 year old, unknown and scary.  Still, it's incredibly energizing to be challenged and be a little bit uncomfortable.

That's when we grow.