With my friends I have learned that nobody is perfect. It seems so simple, but it is a lesson we will continue to re-teach ourselves for the rest of our lives. If we have a friend that is the opposite of us, we become irritated that they don't understand how we feel. But if we have a friend that is the exact same as us, we are frustrated because we find their flaws--which reflect our own. I know, I know, you tell yourself. Nobody is perfect so we just have to accept things and move on. But sometimes it isn't that easy. Friends are people that we turn to when nobody else understands. Best friends are the ones that we put all of our trust in when the world turns its back on us. Unfortunately, that can't be. Our faith must be put in Jesus Christ. The most wonderful person on Earth will still let you down. We are put on the Earth as sinners and we will leave as sinners. There is no escape of that. And friends are wonderful people to have in your life. Friends are a necessity that the Lord has given us to enrich our time on the Earth. But when it comes down to it, our Heavenly Father is the only One who will never fail us.
Let me expand upon my Heavenly Father. A father is someone who is the head of the household. He protects his children in every way possible, and will do everything in his power to make them happy. Now take that and imagine that father figure as a father to the entire universe. The name Heavenly Father was not given to God by accident. He is our Father and He protects us and wants us to be happy. It is just that simple. While everything on Earth may be a mass of confusion sometimes, the comfort of knowing that our God will not change will never go away. He is unchanging, and that stability is what some people search there whole lives for and never find. But He is waiting. He will never leave us.
One thing that my Heavenly Father has given me is my family. I have a wonderful dad, mom, sister, and brother. My older sister is my role model. She is an amazing person and I admire her in everything that she does. My little brother reminds me of the small pleasures in life. He enjoys everything that he does and does it all to the fullest, never letting a good moment pass him by. My parents take care of me and provide a safe place for me to live. They raise all of us in a Godly home and teach us right from wrong. They also taught me about Jesus and what He did for me. And that is where my future comes into the picture.
Going through my junior year in high school, watching my sister go to college, traveling on mission trips--many different things have had an impact on shaping me into the person I am today. I would be crazy not to be thinking about my future. Throughout the past few years, God has made Himself real to me in ways that cannot be expressed on a simple blog. But the conclusion that He has brought me to is that I will devote my entire future to Him. Not only in my everyday actions, but through the ministry. I am hoping to attend Samford University and graduate with a major in religion and a minor in psychology. I don't know if I will pursue a steady job at a church or a crazy job on the everchanging mission field. But I do know for a solid fact that the Lord wants me to dedicate my life in His service.
Well I have gone on and on about what has happened in my life. But I want to end on the note of prayer. Everyone is always dealing with something. Whether they show it on the outside or bottle it up on the inside, something significant is going on in their life. So next time you are brushing by someone in the hallway or thinking about honking at the slow driver next to you, I challenge you to say a short prayer for that person. You have no idea what may be going on in their life.
Merry Christmas! And don't ever forget the true meaning of it. May the Lord bless you all throughout the holiday season!
