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Chapter II Continued
A sixteen-year-old boy fell off a
roof during a summer camp experience. Although he
had not been seriously injured by the fall, he developed
a strong aversion to ledges and high places. In fact,
he even refused to enter the protected balcony of
his grandfather's apartment. He avoided bicycle riding
for fear of failing. When his parents pressed him
to get help, he told them he needed time to conquer
his problem and asked not to be pushed to do what
he could not do.
One day, on his way home from school
through a wooded lot, he heard the screams of two
children. When he looked up, he saw them dangling
precariously from the top walkway of a huge water
tower. He considered going for help but realized they
might fall before he returned. He thought for a moment
more, then decided God had placed him in that exact
spot for a reason and he could trust the reason. His
fears evaporated. Without further hesitation, he ran
to the ladder affixed to the side of the tower, climbed
up over two stories and brought the children down
safely.
We can scare ourselves
or inspire ourselves. We can make the word "love"
mean pain or use it as a celebration of caring. We
can see people as objects of scorn or as human beings,
though perhaps imperfect and capable of unhappy acts.
We can generalize and cast clouds over all future
experiences or invoke God to help us break through
personal barriers. We are in charge. We are the architects
of our own attitudes and experiences. We design the
world by the way we choose to see it!
Chapter
2 Continued »» |
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