When I was a Child

When I was a child...

I was 12 years old and excited to be part of our church's youth group. My parents had taught seventh graders for what seemed like forever and I grew up going to retreats, lock-ins, and wednesday night planning meetings. But, finally it was MY turn! I embraced everything our youth group had to offer and when this new thing called Disciple Now was introduced- I signed up quickly with my best friend Carie and we got a few of our friends to go as well. My seventh grade Sunday School teacher was going to host the house and we were going to stay in the bedroom of a college girl who used to babysit me. Wow! I couldn't wait.
That weekend- in the midst of the laughter, looking at highschool yearbooks and dreaming- as well as playing with our host's paralyzed dog (we loved that he had a little wheelchair!)- my life was changed. I was introduced to quiet times and intimacy with my Heavenly Father, I was taught how to pray, and how to take notes of sermons. I treasured my 'spiral' for many years, getting new ones as the old wore out. I could always tell when I missed my time in the morning with God and I loved making codes for my prayers(since many of them had to do with who I liked at the time) so that I wouldn't be embarassed if someone ever found it like the Diary of Anne Frank.
My time spent in the Youth Group of our church was my training ground. I learned how to put Ephesians 6 and the armor of God into my life. I wasn't perfect by any means- and could tell of the many times I fell short of the mark in bringing God glory- but I still learned so much.
My spiritual life was very safe, organized and structured. It was wrapped up in Sunday morning worship with our choir singing, the various events I attended and invited people, going to lunch after church with my Christian friends, mission trips, youth camp, and reveling in surrounding myself with those who were just like me.
College rolled around. I attended Baylor and within the first month- my whole world was shaking. There was no structure, or organizational church (that I wanted to be a part of), nothing looked like I used to know, I was exposed to different beliefs and was introduced to predestination for the first time as well as christians who 'shacked up', and drank. I used to skip meals on Sundays because I didn't want to go down in my normal clothes and see all the rest dressed up in Sunday clothes. I went sporadically to various churches but no one knew me, or knew my family. I was lost.
I contacted an older girl and talked to her about my feelings of being lost and she talked to me about reconnecting with my God and making Him mine- not my parents or my youth group's. I had to find a way to get to know him- without all the trappings of what I once knew.
It wasn't easy by any means- I have never been known for my disciplined lifestyle so picking my way through was difficult, and foreign.
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.....
To be continued.....