Monday, July 23, 2007

Wrong side

Hi, my name is John. I am 17 years old. My hobby is drawing atsaka dancing.

I almost cried when I heard him say these words.

He is being taught how to be a welder yet to me his words belie a partiality for the arts. Maybe my impressions are wrong. Maybe, these were just hobbies, plain and simple.

His story? He is a young man seeking shelter in a street children’s haven. Maybe he left his home to escape the beatings of a stepfather or even his own father. Another possibility, he is one of the many sons of a poor family. With not enough food to put in their mouths, the children had no choice but to roam the streets to find their own sustenance. Or maybe he is one of those who got separated from his parents and until now is seeking for them.

There is a large gap between his life and mine. True, I grew up needing and wanting a lot of things. I could even say that I grew up poor. Still, I was able to finish school. I was even given an opportunity to study the arts and esthetics, for free.

And some may ask, arts? Can it feed you? Not physically. But repress it and the spirit dies. What is left behind is the shell of life.

This young man, in antics and humor, is no different from the other young people I know of. Yet, he had the misfortune of being born at the wrong side of the social structure. I know that by studying this particular skill, he is being empowered to rise above his situation. For that I am thankful. Yet I cannot help but pray that somehow, in some way, he too would have the opportunity to attain whatever it is his heart’s desire to do. Even to just draw.

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Lion Chaser Manifesto

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson (www.evotional.com)