I actually started this post late Saturday night, waiting to publish it until today, trying to sum up somewhat what I'm trying to say. Snowed in with nothing to do, you get a lot of time to think. And that can kind of drive you crazy, particularly when you're already stressed out...
It's been five years since the fire. Sometimes it seems like December 12, 2008 was just yesterday, other times more like a lifetime ago...Five years may not sound like that long ago, but it's been a quarter of my life. That's kind of a lot.
A lot of things have happened. Gotten closer to Courtney, gotten to know the Lankfords better, moved three times, started this blog, cold-read Shakespeare scripts, covered many sporting events for the papers, survived the SAT, had a lot of crazy experiences with friends, both good and bad. Who knew washing dishes or buying Scotch tape could be so memorable?
Learned a lot about home construction, prone to hyperventilating whenever I smell smoke or something burning now. Traveled a thousand miles away and personally saw so much of our nation's history....the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington, the Smithsonians, the Newseum....Road trip to Kentucky with a bunch of guys obsessed with Panera bagels.
Gone Christmas caroling with friends in a lot of different settings, learned to play guitar and mandolin, attended a Brad Paisley concert, and helped lead worship music for the youth group.
Graduated from high school, dealt with all the stressful details of that, figuring out which college to attend, answering people's questions, giving a speech with my tassel flopping constantly into my face.
Starting college, and all that entailed. I've dropped into depths I didn't know existed; and found encouragement in the most unexpected sources.
Been able to pray with and for brothers and sisters in Christ all over the country, try to help each other grow in Christ-likeness. Life would have been much different without those folks I met in southwest Missouri, and all the things that have spawned from that. Gotten to volunteer at a homeless shelter for a few days.
Yeah, it's been a long time. But God is faithful, He's kept us going through everything, and I know I've grown a lot from the experiences and events of life. Things change fast, sometimes even in an hour. And there's always going to be things changing and rearranging. Might not be ideal all the time to us, but everything will somehow work in some way to further God's glory.
Five years from now, I'll be 25. Other than that, I have no idea what life will be like. Guess it'll be an interesting ride, wherever it leads. New challenges? They'll be there. But so too will the tools to live through and learn from them. Hopefully my faith will be strengthened and I'll be able to encourage others and help them when possible. What that might look like, where I'll be, not sure. Guess we'll find out.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NIV) - "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore a man cannot discover anything about his future."
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV) - "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
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