I remember believing that adults were grown-up. The feeling of looking up (way up, in my
case) at adults as completed beings…finished with the processes of development,
independent of the opinions of others, and very intimidating. Childhood was tough for me, and I strived
hard as a youngster to get to that place.
When I turned 18, I was finally old enough to be considered a legal
adult; able to vote and smoke cigars, but still feeling like a kid. 20 was a bit different, leaving the teenage
years behind and having a couple of post-high-school years behind me; but I
still had a lot of growing-up to do.
Then the biggie, 21, I could legally drink…which I quickly found didn’t
make a bit of difference in my maturity level.
A lot happened in my 20’s – I graduated college, got married, started a
career – until suddenly I was 30.
Officially over-the-hill right? But I still felt (and often acted) like
an insecure novice, and was surrounded by other adults who I came to realize
were in the same boat as I was. Then I
had kids…you learn a lot about yourself, your true beliefs and identity, when
you raise kids. Fast-forward through
countless scenes to the new season I find myself in. I’ve reached a new mile-marker at 50 – with a
wife of 23+ years, a 20-year old daughter, and (nearly) 18-year old son. I’ve come to believe that the maturity I had
always associated with adulthood as a child was merely a mirage; either of my
own making, or of the adults around me who wanted desperately for me to believe
that they had it all together. Now as an official old guy, I feel uniquely
suited to understand the dynamics of the mirage I once sought. Actually there’s nothing unique about it, I’ve
just joined the club of fellow-journeyers.
Adults are most-often just as confused, unsure, and afraid
as kids…we just have more words, tools, and practice. I see things more clearly than I ever have,
and would say that I am truly coming to understand myself, the world, and my
place in it. For me, the path forward to
understanding and peace often goes backward into lessons from my childhood, and
always goes upward into the arms of the Heavenly Father who has beckoned and
consoled me all along the way. I’m
learning some really powerful lessons right now, and thought I would share.
Recently I woke-up worrying about some things I couldn’t
control. After spending time waking up,
I realized I was feeling more & more anxious & exasperated. I turned my
attention to the Lord, asking Him to help me, and His Words in Psalm 42 came to
me. “Why so downcast my soul, why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God.” I went to the Biblical source of the words, Psalm
42, which begins….”As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for
You, my God.” As I continued to read, I
realized that I had been looking past the blessings of the present and was
placing my hopes on desired futures.
This is an elementary lesson in its simplicity, yet taking a lifetime to
learn! If I come into each day filled to
overflowing with all I need, without compulsion to gain anything more to be happy,
then my purposes and rewards for living are open to God’s designs and pleasure…which
always leads to His favor and joy. This
is not a lesson we learn once, it’s daily…sometimes momentary. Here are some pearls of wisdom that came to
me through various people over the next 24-hours…
- Rick Warren (through Dan): “When God is at the center of my life, I worship. When He's not, I worry.”
- Pastor Jess:
- "If you’re focused on what you will do, or what you want to see, you will always need to do more and better things. GOD DOESN'T BUILD WHATS, HE BUILDS WHOS. Whoever controls your identity controls who you will become and what you will do.
- “God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Every day we wake up to a new reality, new opportunities full of potential in Christ; rather than being ruled by the injustices of yesterday.
- Who Are You?
- I’m invaluably significant. 1 Cor.6:19-20
- I’m outrageously love. 1 John 3:1
- I’m immeasurably valuable. 1 Pet.2:9
- I’m incredibly empowered. Col. 2:9-10
- My voice commands the heavens. Mark 11:23
No comments:
Post a Comment