The Audacity to Reach Higher

As a soon to be high school graduate, I was inclined to apply to the Universities available to me at the time. One thing I noticed was that the press for admission was quite much. People it appeared would cheat, lie, bribe, whatever it took, just to be admitted into the University.

The fact was that for every 1 student that was admitted, 300 eligible students were turned away. Instead of going with the flow, I decided to do something different. I decided to ask for more. I started applying to Yale, Harvard, UCLA and other big name schools, just to name a few. Eventually, I was picked up by the University of Indianapolis, and for brevity, permit me to say that the rest is history.

In Mark 2, we read of 4 men who could not get their client, a man stricken with palsy, to Jesus. The multitude that came to see and hear Jesus Christ was overwhelming. There was a long line of sick and broken people waiting to be prayed for. These 4 brave men could easily have given up, blaming providence for their fate. Nobody could have faulted them for failing, for theirs was a seeming impregnable situation. But they instead did something different. They figured that if everybody is at the bottom, why don’t we reach higher? Why don’t we reach for the top? So they climbed to the roof and lowered the sick man to Jesus. Jesus was astonished by their faith and not just healed the man but also forgave him his sins. All this, because 4 men decided to ask more, to reach a little bit higher.

Reach higher. Allow yourself the audacity to ask for more. Allow yourself the courage to get up to the door, knock and ask. What have you to lose? The worst scenario is that you would be told ‘No’. But when did ‘No’ become defeat? Defeat is if you did not try. Success is not in the getting but is in the trying. Whoever says ‘No’ is saying in essence, “I want to k’No’w more”. After a few No’s, you will definitely get your Yes. It is crowded at the bottom. The competition is too stiff at the bottom. Mediocrity is established at the bottom. Dare to ask for more. Dare to go higher. Dare to be like Elisha who said: