I was thinking about superheroes this week. I really like them. And in my random thoughts, I was considering what superhero I would like to be. I think that it would have to be something to do with coffee. Maybe I could be Latte Woman. Or Espresso Girl. Or Caffeine Chick. How about Super Starbucks? Oooh, I like that one…….
The reason I started thinking about all this is because one day I came to the conclusion that WOW, I am really being stretched right now in my life. And to be honest, I don’t always like it. It’s not always what I want to have happen to me. I remembered the mom in the cartoon movie, The Incredibles. She was known as Elastic Girl, and WOW, can this lady stretch! I particularly enjoy when she uses her very long stretchy arms to round up her kids from different rooms of the house. (That would be a handy superpower) After this supermom of elasticity stretches out for her various tasks, she always snaps back to her regular self. But when the next challenge comes her way – she is ready and it seems, she is able to stretch even further.
I know that being stretched is a good thing. I even recognize that it is a God thing. But sometimes, it can be a little uncomfortable – painful even. But I know that God wants that for us. It’s how we grow and come into all that he has for our lives. It goes back to the “being comfortable” thoughts that I have been having lately. If we are never stretched, we are just comfortable being how we are. But I know God has more for us. As believers, as leaders, as parents, as individuals, as a church, as community - in order to grow, we need to be stretched.
How do we get stretched? Well, stretch is an action word. It involves some type of participation. Moses stretched out his hands an awful lot in Exodus, and through that – he saw results. I was thinking though, it takes alot of FAITH to be stretched. To believe that whatever you are walking into, that whatever step of action you are taking is the right one - it needs to be accompanied by faith. Faith is the superpower associated with stretching. I love to read Hebrews 11, the ”Faith” chapter in the Bible. What strikes me about the people spoken of in this chapter, is that they were STRETCHED. Asked by God to do things that often seemed impossible, even at times crazy (I mean really, an ark?) But they allowed themselves to be stretched. They let God stretch them, REALLY stretch them, and through that – their faith grew and they did extraordinary things. Nations were changed. People were saved. Walls came down. They did amazing things for God. Unbelievable things for God. Faith filled, stretched to the limits, tested beyond imagination, things for God. Was it always easy? No way. But it was part of what God had for them, part of the purpose for their life. I want that too, as crazy as it can be. I have faith in my God, that can accompany my stretching and that is what makes it all possible and reachable to me.
I get really annoyed lately when I open the top drawer of my desk. There is a huge bag of elastics that have spilled out. Elastics, when used for their purpose – which is to be STRETCHED out – are great and wonderful inventions. When they are not used for their purpose, they are just there, serving no real purpose. They get pushed aside, out of the way. I don’t want to be a crusty, decaying elastic in a drawer. I want to be a stretched out elastic, so stretched that I am about to burst, but doing what I was created to do, with a faith that can hold everything together.
Bring on the stretch!
Shelly
