After I broke my ankle, I spent time doing physical therapy to regain balance, flexibility and strength. Physical therapy involves practicing increasingly difficult exercises in a controlled environment to better equip one to meet the challenges of daily life in the real world. It is the presence of stressors that leads to greater strength and resiliency. Without challenge, there is no growth or increased strength.
Life in the church is like balancing on uneven surfaces. That has always been true, even though there are some times when we are more aware of it than others. Changes happen; challenges arise; difficulties occur. New people bring different perspectives. New situations cause us to rethink cherished ideas.
From the earliest days of the church, believers have faced challenges. God calls us to deepened trust, to prayerful practice of faith and to holy conversation. We are called to be a grace-filled community of believers practicing our faith together, even as we balance on uneven surfaces. Let us welcome the challenge and receive it as a gift, because hidden within is the opportunity to stretch and grow.
This message is excerpted from “Ability to balance” by Julie A. Kanarr from the February 4, 2016, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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