Annaleise Carr is a well-spoken, determined 14-year-old who defied cold water temperatures and strong currents to swim across Lake Ontario last week. She was the youngest person ever to make the 50+ kilometre crossing. But she wasn't doing this to break Marilyn Bell's record which stood for nearly sixty years. This was a fundraiser for Camp Trillium, a summer experience for children with cancer. The event seemed to capture the public's imagination and while her goal was $30,000, over $130,000 has been raised. What an amazing feat.
At just about the same time American Diana Nyad set out to swim from Cuba to Florida, a distance more than triple that which was covered by Annaleise. She didn't make her goal for the fifth time in two years. She said that it would be her last attempt and this sounds like a good plan.
What struck me was the contrast in purpose. One was self-giving and the other self-aggrandizing, or so it appears to me. Nyad , in her early sixties, says she wanted to set an example for all those who want to achieve their dreams but it sounds as though she was looking for a heapin' helpin' of personal glory. I hope I am not being unfair.
What I do know is that the Annaleise's generosity is truly admirable. Self-giving is a core theme of Christian faith and one we can encourage in our life together. I was impressed last week by the group of teens who helped out with VBS when they could have been communing with their pillows. Laura tells me they would have been hard pressed to deal with all the kids without them. A faith community is obviously not the only place where this can happen, but it's nice to see it here.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you know teens who are generous with their time and talents? Is church still a good place to learn these values?
4 comments:
I was also impressed (and thankful!) for the help our St/ Paul's teens gave last week. It's great for me to see how church can still play a role in the life of youth today.
I will be forever indebted and grateful to three once-upon-a-teen sisters who I had connected to through St. Paul's. At a time when my family was overwhelmed with uncertainty and stress, these three girls set aside countless hours every single week to help me out at home with my boys. They went above and beyond babysitting, to become invaluable members of our family who we could count on and trust. At a time in their own lives when girls of the same age were more preoccupied by boys, hanging out at the mall and sharing clothes and makeup tips, they put the little ones ahead of themselves. I believe that their Christian upbringing played a huge factor in their generosity of spirit.
Those once-upon-a-teen sisters have now grown up into lovely young women, one now raising her own family. The youth at St. Paul's are a very caring, enthusiastic group of young people, many of whom we have watched grow from babes. We took vows at their baptisms to help them grow in their Christian faith and as I watch them at work and play, I like to feel that we have played a part in helping them become the wonderful young people that they are today.
Great comments all. It is satisfying to hear the stories and know we have nurtured these young 'uns who in turn bless us. I am constantly grateful for our children and youth.
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