Faithful Friday: Honesty & Growing Pains

When it comes to my relationship with God, lately I feel like a teenager, or perhaps even a toddler.  It's like He's the parent that only gets recognition when He does something really cool, such as answering a prayer in an unexpected way, or in the way I wanted.  Or I come whining to Him.  The rest of the time I spend acting as though I'm in control.  Perhaps it is behavior more like the teenager- aware of your bad behavior and wanting to be nicer, more appreciative, but finding yourself indulging your selfishness.  You know better, but you've yet to establish the patterns necessary to make more permanent and conscientious changes.

It would help to be more consistent about taking time to re-center by spending concrete amounts of time in the word and listening prayer {I'm great at the rambling talking part}.  It's tough, and if I'm honest there will be days that I may just go through the motions to make the habit, but somehow I trust that I'll get stronger as I make each choice.

About this time last year an online devotional "You'll Meet An Old Lady One Day" really struck home.  The decisions I make now in how I act will affect the kind of person I become when those patterns become rigid.  When I am old I want to be the kind, wise, creative lady that people enjoy being around.  I believe we earn our wrinkles, and I want mine to be from laughter, from a life well lived.

Every day is a new challenge.  I've traded physical growing pains for spiritual ones.

I don't know how this post will help anyone, except to honestly say that my faith journey is not perfect.  I get tired and sit idle too long, or stubborn and stew in my resentment, or even recklessly over confident, but my faltering in the journey doesn't make my destination any less present or secure.  The messages around me say to stop comparing, to be honest and tell the whole story because that's what makes community.  You never know who you'll help when you share your struggles, as well as your triumphs; you never know who'll help you either.