Retrieved from my file drawer of writings: Reflections on empowerment and encouragement in unexpected places.
One of my professional challenges some years ago focused on rethinking our school report cards, and to design and offer an electronic concept that would meet the expectations of teachers and schools. My colleague and I had been battling this tough assignment for some time, and so an opportunity to learn from Thomas R. Guskey’s presentation at the —- Assessment Conference was a powerful incentive to set aside the day for input.
I came away encouraged and recommitted to the project, empowered through Guskey’s wisdom and insights with a strong sense of the “impossible turned upside down.” Here’s what happened.
Impossibility Turned Upside Down
When I’m in the car for any extended period of time, radio tuned to CBC, I tend to be preoccupied with the thoughts rattling around in my head: the latest idiosyncrasy of my aging Honda, a tough conversation held with one of my children or with my husband, a great meal planned and jettisoned in favour of simpler fare, words said or left unspoken, gestures made or only imagined, tasks done or left undone, goals reached or reassessed—mental jot-notes full of good intentions—an unruly, fretful cacophony of life and living.
But now and then, in the midst of this inner noise, I’m recalled to some phrase that leaps out of the background buzz of the radio station that pushes all thought away, clears my mind, and gives me pause.
And so, on that brisk winter day some time ago, preoccupied with the challenges and goals of the day, out of the well of the radio floated the phrase, “Academy of the Impossible,” and with it the story of an educational institution dedicated to teaching its participants that dreams can come true, a place where individuals who haven’t fit into traditional learning models can explore and achieve their particular impossibilities. “Academy of the Impossible” is a real place, in an unlikely location, situated in the Junction Triangle, an industrial section of inner-city Toronto – little more than an empty room with some chairs, a stage and a few bookshelves. It’s a surprising spot for big visions and delivery of dreams.
But listen to its founders: they will tell you that the possibilities are endless: this place is about opportunity, creativity and hope, about doing the impossible.
That’s what got my attention: courageous vision, passion in action – impossibility TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
So, what to do with this idea of “impossibility turned upside down,” of reaching beyond the probable, the traditional?
Why should this phrase capture my attention? Because that word “impossible” had slowly slid into my thought pattern, pre-empting passion and courage. “Fretful” was taking over ….
We’ve been struggling with a challenging assignment for some weeks now and the going was tough; the bar set high, and the deadline looming. Our team of two worked through designing report cards with the vision of accommodating the diverse expectations of an equally diverse group of teachers and schools.
Each day we made a little progress; we moved ahead, encouraged. Each day, the limitations of my grasp of JavaScript would come smack up against another scripting question, and on each occasion we put our heads down and kept working. The word “impossible” did come to mind. Another step mastered, another hurdle overcome … slow, tedious steps. An Acrobat scripting guru generously offered free advice; my colleague’s faithful and insightful rewrites birthed a wonderful concept to help educators think about what a growing faith looks like in a young student; that conference on learning sparked bigger ideas and called us to greater resolve; a renowned educator rekindled the possibility flame and—turned the impossible upside down.
Now, me thinking that something is impossible is nothing new. There’s usually a small part of me, that when faced with a big challenge, would prefer to run and hide, just for a little while …
But hiding from the impossible is also nothing new; it’s as old as Adam and Eve in their flight from a choice that would change the Garden of Eden forever.
It’s as old as the prophet Elijah, used by God to slaughter the prophets of Baal. Elijah, believing himself to be the lone survivor of God’s army of ambassadors, hunted by Queen Jezebel for decimating her prophet horde, saw his lonely task as impossible, and fled to a cave on Mount Horeb. From his hiding place, he could mouth only words of discouragement:
Twice the Lord says: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:13)
Twice Elijah replies: “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
And then …
Beyond the powerful wind, the shattered mountains, the roaring fire
— the Lord’s gentle whisper
— the Lord’s reassurance
— and finally, to Elijah: “No more hiding! Go back, and do my will!“
A clear and unequivocal call to faith and to action! The impossible TURNED UPSIDE DOWN!!
Once again, Elijah is able to focus on the task at hand: the impossible has become possible.
So here’s that word “impossible” again.
And so with His word, the Lord reassures me and calls me back from fretful thoughts.
From Psalm 139:
You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
God isn’t so much concerned about my tasks as about my soul; I can count on Him to set me straight; by his grace I can stay focussed on the important stuff.
Will the task become easier? Will the bar be set too high? Will the deadline come with all our scripting ducks in line? I have no idea, but this I know: I can strike my interpretation of the word “impossible” from my vocabulary, and know that what we’ve done, how far we’ve come—is enough.
And now, when the phrase “Academy of the Impossible” crosses my mind, it reaches beyond bricks and mortar, beyond people and their possibilities, beyond tasks undone and goals unmet, and sends me straight to the place where I can say during a stressful thought or moment, “Empty me, Lord, of my frets, fears and uncertainties, and make it possible to see you first of all.”
And only then he calls me to action.
That’s impossibility TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
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