When I Grow Up . . .

One of the questions I find myself asking youth all the time is "So, what do you think you might want to be when you grow up?" I am usually surprised when they actually have an answer for me, for the most part they are just trying to focus on what's going on right now . . . they'll deal with 'future' when it's on their doorstep. I don't blame them I was the same way! And I think it's totally fine, sometimes I think we need to pressure our students less to know now what they want to be in 5 years, it'll come to them.

I never had a good answer for that question, and you know what . .i still don't know "what I want to be when I grow up" to be honest, I don't know that "what" I am matters very much anyway, I think "who" I am is of far greater value.  I believe that who I am will always be changing, maturing and growing. I am already a far different person than I was in jr. high or high school, I am different than I was in college, and I am confident that 10 years form now I will be different than who you know me to be now. As Christians it should be impossible for us not to change, God's word says to us that we are to become more like Jesus (1 John 2:6, Eph. 3:1-10) , in my life this would require change, as I stand now I am far from being "like Jesus". This should be our goal, not that we know "what" we want to be but that we are confident in "who" we want to be, one who has been crucified with Christ, the old has gone the new has come!

There are people in my life that I look up to greatly, I admire where they are in this journey, I admire how much of "them" has been put to death in order that Christ may live through them. I praise God for this work in their lives as it is a great example to those who follow, a great example to me.

One of these whom I admire is my Grandma, she has exemplified faith to me in incredible ways, especially over the past year as her life has been filled with change and difficulties. The one thing I have heard her utter more often than any other is "God will take care of it, lets not worry". My Grandma is an incredibly strong woman, but the strength that she has drawn from over this past difficult year has not been her own, and she would be the first to share that with you. In her strength she points you to a God who is greater than her circumstances, and in that there is great hope.

I want to share a picture of my Grandma with you. the other day my mom was helping me build a flower garden in my yard and some trees had to go. The chainsaw was operated by none other than my grandma, 75 years old and in her sandals. I mean, 'common why wouldn't I want to be like her!?