To Settle or Stretch
The words my high-school guidance counselor spoke to me that day stung! They insulted me and, at the same time, inspired me. Tears burned my eyes while a passion to push back filled my heart. Mr. Hill looked over the top of his glasses and then over the top of the folder containing my subpar grades. The reflective tale was one of four years that my long-time friend ADHD and I had wasted.
I vividly remember the texture of his office, the wrinkle of his brow, and what I perceived as a slight smirk that twisted his face. "Mark, you shouldn't pursue further education," he said. "Find a job at a factory that pays enough to support your creative and artistic side." My counselor's words were dismissive, and his advice demoralizing.
And that was it! After less than three minutes of "guidance counsel," I was guided out of the room and into a world that would challenge and dare me even to this day. I had two choices:
I could settle and do what I was told or stretch and do what I was told I could not.
I did not settle.
I stretched!
I have no ill feelings toward Mr. Hill. The truth is, I'm grateful for the challenge, although I'm pretty sure it wasn't designed as such. His words about settling have been my driver. They have motivated me to stretch instead!
I stretched through every EMT course, Federal Aviation Licensure, Crisis Intervention Training, Law Enforcement Academy, and a solid eight to nine years of college and seminary. Moreover, I was named Suma Cum Laude at SHK, better known as the School of Hard Knocks. I stretched!
Now, people often call me “Doctor Mark.” At first, that felt awkward, and I pushed back. Then I realized I should enjoy the education I've earned because I have the stretch marks to prove it.
As Maya Angelou wisely said, "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated." My journey from being labeled as having a learning disability and an education failure to earning my doctorate is a testament to that truth.
Each obstacle was an opportunity to stretch beyond my limits.
The great New Testament writer Paul tells us his strategy:
"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
Notice Paul's strategy has three components:
Press or stretch
Define the goal
Make the goal and the prize one and the same.
Thank you, guidance counselor Hill. Sometimes, it's a good thing to make a mountain out of a "molehill." It gives you something higher to climb!
Albert Einstein once said, "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
My experience has been that opportunity is often disguised as difficulty; at first, you won't see it. Look again!
Don't settle! Stretch!
*The Guidance counselor referenced may not have been named "Mr. Hill." 😊 Regardless, I owe him/her a lot of thanks.