PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

April 30, 2025

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III was the second pick in the recent NFL draft.  On Tuesday, April 24^th, in anticipation of the draft, Griffin was a guest on the Mike and Mike in the Morning which airs on ESPN.

One of the questions that RG III was asked had to do with his feelings about being picked number two, instead of number one.  I found his response interesting.  Griffin told the two Mikes: “Shoot for the stars, fly in the clouds.”

When I was in college my neighbor helped to get me a summer job working for Cinch Manufacturing on the north side of Chicago, Ill.  When I inquired what he thought I should ask to be paid, he said to tell them a little more than what I thought I might get.  I took his advice and actually got what I requested.  Maybe I should have asked for a little more.  Sometime when you shoot for the stars you actually reach the target.

When Ken Brace was the director for “Care and Share,” a church sponsored agency to help people going through difficult times, he did two things which I thought were important.  First, at the conclusion of every interview, he would ask if the client would like a prayer.  Ken wanted every person to know that not only was he concerned about them, God was too.

The second thing Ken would do was to help those whom he saw to discover how they might be a part of the solution to their own problems.  He raised the person’s expectations of what they could do to help work themselves out of the mess in which they found themselves.

One area in which Ken raised expectations was education.  Many of those whom he saw lacked a high school diploma or its equivalent.  In 2011 14.1% of adults with less than a high school diploma or its equivalent were unemployed, while 9.5% of those with diplomas were without work.  The numbers for persons with even more education were still lower.   In 2011 the median weekly earning for a person with less than a high school diploma or its equivalent was $451.00.  Persons with a diploma or its equivalent made 41% more or $638.00 per week.  Several of the people with whom Ken worked not only obtained a GED but went on to get additional education which would even enhance their earning power.

Very often a person’s expectations are shaped by the people around them.  Therefore, one way to have positive influence on someone’s life is by raising expectations.

David’s family did not have high expectations for him.  When Samuel came to their house looking for the one God had chosen to be the next king of Israel, David’s father, Jesse, first thought of his oldest son, Abinadah.  It was only an afterthought that David was even called in from the fields.  Because of his inspiration from God, Samuel had a much higher expectation for David then his family.  His family saw him as a shepherd, Samuel saw him as a king.

One way that adults can help the next generation is by raising expectations of what might be possible for them.  The world is only too ready to tell them what is not possible.  What they need is persons tell them to go for it, the sky is limit.

Robert Griffin III shot for the stars and should was the number two pick in this year’s NFL draft.  Not too shabby.  Pretty rarefied air!

(This article was originally published April 29, 2012.  Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)