When I was a teenager, I had a nickname that pointed toward….you guessed it…my height. I towered over nearly all of my classmates at a whopping 6’3″. They’d cheer for me as I played basketball or volleyball, “Way to go, Stretch!”
For a while, I enjoyed the attention, especially from my older brother’s “super-cute” buddies. But, eventually, as the months went by, the moniker lost its appeal. (I am more than my physical appearance. Can I get an “Amen”?) One night in the late 1980s, as I was most likely snacking on Doritos and an ice cold can of Pepsi-Cola, I saw an interview of a professional basketball player on late night television. He shared a story from his high school days that painted a pretty similar picture to what I was feeling at that time. I don’t remember who he was, so I’ll call him “Big John” as I relay his story. It went like this:
Day after day, “Annoying Pipsqueak” would greet him, hand cupping his mouth as if shouting up to a mountaintop: “Hooooowwww’s the we-ath-errrrr up therrrre?”
Big John would go along with his short-statured classmate’s silliness and respond: “Fine” or “great” or something positive. Until one day, Big John was having a bad day and not in the mood to deal with Pipsqueak and his annoying greetings. And so, after Pipsqueak asked, “How’s the weather up there?” Big John hawked a loogie, spit on Pipsqueak, and declared, “It’s RAINING!” and then he walked away.
I sat, nodding my head, smiling ear to ear, mentally high-fiving Big John.
As I reflect on my time as “Stretch”, I can’t help but think of how I’ve done just that over the years–been stretched.
Stretched in my abilities–both mental and physical.
Stretched in my relationships.
Stretched in my beliefs.
And, now that I’m in a place where I can look back at where I’ve been stretched and molded by the Lord, I can honestly say, I’m grateful for who He made me to be….and that I was (and am) stretch-able. Nowadays, I’m called many names:
Rhonda
Mom
Sister
Mrs. Powers
Tom’s wife
Sean’s mom
Devon’s mom.
And, I guess I’ll always be Stretch because sometimes in life’s situations, that’s what I’m called to do and be.
Stretch? Yep, that’s me.
Rhonda D. Powers 