Consider this my year-end reflection post. Something I've never done.
2008 has passed by very quickly. Why is it that the older I get, the faster time seems to go?
I've been thinking more about things that matter. Maybe because I turned 16 this year and that feels like such an old age. So close to 18. If you think about it, I've probably lived one-fifth of my life. And what do I have to show for it? What have I done to advance God's kingdom?
I guess this year, one big thing for me was relationships. Of all kinds. A lot of my friendships have changed more in this one year than ever before. Everyone is growing up and changing. I still believe in kindred spirits, though. It’s almost as if you’ve got a deeper connection than just friendship, with certain people. It’s just that the outer veneer has cracked and reshaped itself. And that can hurt. Hence the title of this post: growing pains.
Sometimes I feel like not having a facebook limits my ability to “connect” with people I don’t see regularly. But then, I think, do I really need to know that S_____, whom I met last year at summer camp, went to a party last week and got drunk? Nah. The most important relationships are the ones where we can talk face to face.
Or at least voice to voice. This year God has been slowly, slowly revealing to me how important he is. How he is the one who gives me strength when I can’t run on my own power anymore. How only he can comfort me when everything seems to be going wrong. How his love can satisfy me and I needn’t go thirsting after attention from boys. But sometimes I’ve rejected his nudging. It’s like he’s wooing me and I just ignore and reject the great God of the Universe. I mean, wow, he has so many things to take care of and yet he takes the time to pursue an intimate relationship with me.
So after all that talk about relationships I sort of feel obligated to say that I’m not in a relationship with a guy. Which all of my readers probably know. Haha. Whether you care or not.
Change hurts. Sometimes I wish things would just stay the same. But say, if I never changed I’d be a horrible person. I’m learning to be glad that God is molding me through hard times. And compared to many people, I don’t suffer at all. These are just growing pains.
Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Happy New Year!