Challenges
Posted on Apr 15, 2009
Mersida Porcic has the God-given gift of hospitality. She uses her gift and a love for food preparation to support a variety of ministries from the church kitchen. This week, Mersida officially became a United States citizen. Each time we taste her meals we celebrate both Mersida’s physical and spiritual journey. As a Bosnian refuge she has experienced many trials and challenges, which culminated in emigration to the U.S. and assimilation into a new culture and new traditions. Her story has much to teach about perseverance, hope and strong self esteem.
By understanding that life is a mixture of both positive and negative events, students learn that all accomplishments do not come easily or without hard work. In fact, the more we separate our children from life’s essential struggles, the greater risk we run that they will become increasingly self-indulged. On the other hand, I have always found that when properly challenged and guided, young people prove to be tremendously resourceful, diligent and disciplined.
We must take care that our students receive appropriate challenges, that they experience successes and failures, and that they learn the value of a struggle – all within a supportive environment. We need not invent the challenges; hurdles exist daily. One of the hardest parental jobs is not being lured into protecting our children from experiencing failure. Teaching children how to live through life’s challenges and providing them with the tools they need for productive struggle will be more beneficial long-term than overprotecting in the short-term. Such lessons are part of everyday life at RPDS across our curriculum. Aristotle remarked, “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
Consider the reflection of an anonymous dad. A lesson in “heart” is my little, 10 year-old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and who wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell me she had competed in “field day"-- that’s where they have lots of races and other competitive events. Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down--but before I could get a word out, she said, “Daddy, I won two of the races!” I couldn’t believe it! And then Sarah said, “I had an advantage.” Ahh. I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start… some kind of physical advantage. But again, before I could say anything, she said, “Daddy, I didn’t get a head start… my advantage was I had to try harder!”
Congratulations Mersida! We celebrate your story of hope, perseverance and success. As we do, let us recommit to intentionally teaching the skills necessary for perseverance and achieving potential.
