I Am From ...

My daughter assigns her college-level poetry students this icebreaker on the first day of class: Write a free-verse poem, each part beginning with “I am from ….” Recall the street you grew up on — the music, smells, foods. Recall people, activities, expressions. Try it! It’s interesting what appears in the mind’s eye: “I am from a street paved with cinders and tar that softened in summer and captured our footprints.” “I am from orange-colored corduroy pants.” How have those little puzzle pieces of your life led to the hope and future God planned for you? The joyful memories, the difficult and tragic ones — all fit together in a life designed by our Maker, one we could never have imagined. And He has more plans for us, all leading to that eternal future and hope with Him.