A quiet reminder
By Steven Polley
Director, Offices of Youth Ministry and Adult Education
How often in our busy lives have we heard someone say they went on a vacation, and our response has been, "Vacation, what’s that?" Well, believe it or not, I recently returned from a 10-day vacation.
It was a wonderful experience and an opportunity for the first time in a long time to let go of what was waiting in my office. It was a chance to simply relax and enjoy something else.
My vacation consisted of traveling to Kit Carson, Colo., where my mother and aunt live, and then driving them to Miles City, Mont. to see another sister and brother-in-law. The last time that I had traveled to Montana was in the spring of 1975, so it was a good opportunity for me to once again experience and see some things from earlier in life.
As we traveled, I was again taken aback by how quickly the terrain and the landscape can change from the mountains of Colorado, to the plains and openness of Wyoming, to the big sky and badlands of Eastern Montana. I was in awe of the beauty found in all of God’s creation. Probably one of the best ways that I can sum this up is with a quote that was stated by Lewis and Clark during their expedition. At the top of one of the formations, looking out over the Yellowstone river and the badlands, is a display asking, "What sequence of events created this curious landscape?"
As I reflected on all of this beauty — the deer, antelope and the many other things that we saw on this short trip — I could not help but think of our young people.
We know that we are created in God’s divine image and likeness. Every person is a child of God and unique in the eyes of God. But how often do we look at our youth and for some reason expect, or in some cases attempt to demand, something else from them?
I again have had to remind myself of the importance of accepting them where they are, while challenging them to go further.
Different events of this summer have led me to think more about this, and this vacation time was a quiet reminder of how important it is that we are able to recognize God in one another. From one youth to another, we can see as many differences as in the landscape of a 10-mile stretch of land in South Dakota. With each young person comes a beauty that is theirs and theirs alone.
As our young people move quickly into another school year, can we take the time to recognize the giftedness in each of them? Can we be more thankful of, not the sequence of events, but the God who created such beauty in all people and all things?