On Your Feet
"The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." ~Vance Havner
There has been a reoccurring theme in my life the last few days. There must be action when there is insight. This thought has infiltrated every aspect of my world lately. As we watched our hometown baseball team lose miserably to their closest competition, both Vic and I noticed something ~ the seats of the stadium were not completely full. Now I know it is just a sport and I know that there are other things in life, but when your hometown team has a shot at the playoffs and the seats aren't full of fans, there is something wrong. The team doesn't hear you cheering from your couch. When they run in to the dugout from the field and the seats are empty, you aren't there applauding. I knew what had to be done. The next game, we were in the stands cheering and this time we brought friends. Those same seats that were empty on the first night, were ours on the second. Our team brought home the win as we spent the night on our feet, standing up for the team that we believe in.
The same thing has been true with our oldest child. It has been a battle lately as we push him toward his potential. There is a lot of feedback and push back and talk back as he questions why everything has to be so hard. Why does he have to do the right thing? Why does he have to turn in his best work? Why does he have to push himself physically and mentally? We had a long talk about what our family stands for and why his absolute best is all that we will accept. It was exhausting, and emotionally taxing, but finally getting through to our teen aged son was worth it. The action that has been necessary is standing firm in the face of resistance. The insight is knowing what is necessary for our children to grow up to be successful adults.
The last stand that I've been called to make is one for the family. I found myself in a conversation with a stranger today that covered everything from women in public office to the traditional American family. I have learned over the years not to engage in political discussions with people other than my very close friends and family. These discussions become very heated as most people are incredibly enthusiastic about their decisions. The gentleman today wasn't passionate about a certain candidate or party as much as he was about the portrayal of women and the traditional family. It seems as though every group has a vocal champion except for the "old-fashioned" family. The truth is that there are many families out there like ours who have been quiet for a long time. Now is the time to speak up and make sure that the things that are important are being stood up for.
There comes a time when you realize that the only way to venture out is on your feet. Standing for what you believe in and cheering on the things that matter most.
There has been a reoccurring theme in my life the last few days. There must be action when there is insight. This thought has infiltrated every aspect of my world lately. As we watched our hometown baseball team lose miserably to their closest competition, both Vic and I noticed something ~ the seats of the stadium were not completely full. Now I know it is just a sport and I know that there are other things in life, but when your hometown team has a shot at the playoffs and the seats aren't full of fans, there is something wrong. The team doesn't hear you cheering from your couch. When they run in to the dugout from the field and the seats are empty, you aren't there applauding. I knew what had to be done. The next game, we were in the stands cheering and this time we brought friends. Those same seats that were empty on the first night, were ours on the second. Our team brought home the win as we spent the night on our feet, standing up for the team that we believe in.
The same thing has been true with our oldest child. It has been a battle lately as we push him toward his potential. There is a lot of feedback and push back and talk back as he questions why everything has to be so hard. Why does he have to do the right thing? Why does he have to turn in his best work? Why does he have to push himself physically and mentally? We had a long talk about what our family stands for and why his absolute best is all that we will accept. It was exhausting, and emotionally taxing, but finally getting through to our teen aged son was worth it. The action that has been necessary is standing firm in the face of resistance. The insight is knowing what is necessary for our children to grow up to be successful adults.
The last stand that I've been called to make is one for the family. I found myself in a conversation with a stranger today that covered everything from women in public office to the traditional American family. I have learned over the years not to engage in political discussions with people other than my very close friends and family. These discussions become very heated as most people are incredibly enthusiastic about their decisions. The gentleman today wasn't passionate about a certain candidate or party as much as he was about the portrayal of women and the traditional family. It seems as though every group has a vocal champion except for the "old-fashioned" family. The truth is that there are many families out there like ours who have been quiet for a long time. Now is the time to speak up and make sure that the things that are important are being stood up for.
There comes a time when you realize that the only way to venture out is on your feet. Standing for what you believe in and cheering on the things that matter most.
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