Encountering Obstacles
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Did you ever have one of those days when you set out to do something simple and ran into one obstacle after another?
By the end of the day, did you manage to break clear and get done what you originally set out to do? Or did you find yourself so off course, you lost track of the initial goal?
Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! - Matthew 18:7
In today's reading, Jesus talks about stumbling blocks.
They are bound to come, he says, and the world is full of them. But it is one thing to encounter obstacles; it is quite another to create them.
Who would do such a thing? It sounds so evil.
But what about all the things we do and say without realizing that they can become obstacles?
I am not talking about the big things we all recognize, like illegal drugs and hateful propaganda.
The problem is, once we start thinking of things that can be used as obstacles or that can lead people down the wrong path, we start to see everything as having the potential to harm or cripple.
A parent's concern for the safety of a child could stifle the child's creativity and imagination by telling her all the things she shouldn't do.
When it comes to stumbling blocks, the good intentions are not the whole picture. We need to nurture and support each other in all we do, and that means that sometimes we have to let go a little.
Sure, we need to give our children the wisdom and strength to make wise decisions, but we cannot legislate their safety completely and we cannot lock them away for protection from evil.
We will all encounter many obstacles in this life. It is a given, and we need to be given the knowledge about them, not only that they are everywhere, but that they are set in our path intentionally and unintentionally.
So, as we venture out into the world today, we should remind ourselves that the world holds many wonders and many of those wonders can keep us from reaching our goals.
As parents and leaders, the challenge is to help others without hurting them in the process.
More to come...