Stretch

A mind once stretched by new ideas never regains its original dimensions.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

dictionary.com
stretch:
1. to draw out or extend oneself, a body, limbs, wings etc to the full length or extent
2. to hold out, reach forth, or extend one's arm, head etc
3. to extend, spread, or palce something so as to reach from one point or palce to another (e.g. stretch a rope across a road)
4. to draw tight or taut (e.g. stretch the strings of a violin)

Roget's Thesaurus:
increase
expand
lengthen
space
distance
exertion
encroachment
misinterpret
exaggeration

We hear of examples in Jesus' healing ministry where he requested the patient to "stretch" e.g. Matt 12:13.

With the remarkable and lively unfolding story in the book of Acts, we see the results of Jesus' brief three year ministry stretching out into the future.  The world was forever changed, and the interesting characters in the story here were the first to continue to stretch out beyond the everyday view, the old theology, the mundane view of the world around them.  They had been touched by Christ and they weren't going to remain mere "enthusiastic spectators" (The Message p. 1971 - Introduction to the book of Acts); and this book shows us how we can continue the story today.

Julie Swannell