Back When the World Was Big!

When I was young I would visit my Grandmother, staying with her for days on end. I loved being there because she made me pound cake with chocolate syrup for breakfast. (Yeah, I have always been into health food.)

She played the role of grandparent very well. I got away with things my parents would have never approved. However, her one cardinal rule was “never cross the big road,” meaning the one that was paved rather than dirt. She had a large yard but it was never quite big enough to satisfy my curiosity.

The other side of the paved road represented the “big world.” I could hear it beckoning for me…”come explore.” I knew that the country drug store (we now call them pharmacies) and the filling station (Am I dating myself yet?) were over there somewhere. I could only imagine all the other wonders of the world that awaited me.

So I swallowed hard, looked both ways and pedaled my little red bike into history.

To say that our students live in a different world today would be a gross understatement. Children are connected with every corner of the world via the internet. Teens converse with peers in countries or continents using social media on their cell phones. The “big world” isn’t so big any longer. Adults may still think of state lines or country borders but students see no boundaries.

What a great time to introduce students to world missions! Like previous generations they have a sense of adventure and their reach exceeds their grasp. They are already looking across the “big road” and anticipating their adventure.

Maybe we as leaders are the ones who need to swallow hard, look both ways, grab a student’s hand and move out to reach the world with the Gospel.