Hiking Through Life

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

~James 1:2-4

I am not a mind reader, I do not foresee the future, and I do not create miracles.  Sorry to burst any bubbles of hope you had in me, but I do not possess those talents.  What will come in the future means nothing me, because I do not know what will come in the future.  I do not know what collage I will go to, or what age I will die, I do not know if I will have children, or who I will become.  With all of this “I do not know” you may think I have a brain the size of pea, but I promise I do know a few things.  One of the most important things I know is who I am now. 

While there have been many people who have helped me become who I am today, two of the biggest ones are my great-grandpa, and my grandfather, Popeye.  I did not know my great-grandpa very long, for he died when I was three, but out of everyone I have known I would say he made the biggest impact on my life.  How could it be that someone I have known the shortest could change my life the most?  He was one of the most loving and godly men I have ever known.  He lived his life to the fullest for God.  He walked in His ways, and strived to bring others into the big family as well.  He loved everyone he met, and you could feel it the second you met him.  He showed true joy, even as he took his last breath.  My grandfather, Popeye, shaped me a lot as well.  He passed away over the summer, but the lessons he has taught me have not.  He was so strong and wise.  He had a sense of humor that could not be matched.  I love hearing stories about the way he used to discipline my dad.  Just like my great-grandpa you could meet him for the first time and tell he loved the Lord with all of his heart.  I look up to both of them as examples of joy and faith.  They had joy and laughter that could not be compared, and it was obvious that their joy came from the Lord.  They have taught me how to have true joy in the Lord. 

There is also an inanimate object that has changed me. It is amazing how a well-worn wooden floor can impact your life…the stage.  To me a stage is more then just a collection of wooden boards.  It is not so much the stage though, but what happens on the stage.  The first time I walked onto a stage I was five years old.  How could I know then the change it would bring to my life?  The stage is my own personal time machine.  Every time I walk on stage it is different. I am in a different place, but I still have the same goal.  I have had amazing opportunities in my life to be on stage.  One of the biggest events that changed my life was being in “The Last Sin Eater.”  When I was twelve, I got to play my first lead role as Cadi Forbes in this production.  Although I grew immensely as an actress, I grew even more in God and learned what my goal was.  So what is my goal?  What is it that I seem to try so hard for?  My goal is to bring glory to God.  I want people to know the moment I walk on stage that God get’s all the honor and praise.  Memorizing lines, and practicing your ballet positions are important, but I am thankful that my teachers have taught me from the beginning that the most important thing is God.  He is my focus onstage and off!        

I am not the best hiker, but I find I have been doing it everyday as I hike through life.  I often play ninja with the floor, and stumble a lot.  I have gotten bruised, and been attacked by cuts and scrapes.  I have run into hard things like school, and work.  These are some of the rocks and boulders that scatter my path.  But even with these rocks, there are flowers and bunny rabbits too.  They come in the shape of family and friends.  I have learned that even though school is hard, it is important too.  I have learned more then just how to add and subtract numbers, or how to cross my t’s and dot my i’s.  Most of this is due to being homeschooled. One of the best things about doing school at home with your family is not sleeping in and going to class in your pajamas.  I mean sure that is pretty awesome, but it is not the absolute best part. The best part is that I learn more then just book knowledge I have learned life knowledge. I have not only grown in mental knowledge, but also in God.  I have learned how to read books, and how to read people.  I have learned how to distinguish the important from the not so important. There are many other things I have learned as well, and it is due to my unique style of schooling.    

What do you do with play dough?  You make things, right?  When you give a child some play dough they make things and then tear them down, then they repeat, often mixing colors.  While some people look at their creations as a pile of brown and gray mush, others see a wonderful creation.  I believe we are similar to this.  We are like play dough being tossed around, built up, torn down, mixed, and shaped.  Some people look at us as messed up disasters, but God sees a beautiful work of art.  Everything in my past has been used to shape me.  From the Christmas miracles, to the bike riding failures, they are all important parts of my life.  I have been given wonderful opportunities to serve God, and am thankful for the examples he has placed in my life.  Though life is tough, I know where to find my joy.  I do not regret anything in my past and I look forward to the future, because I have God with me.

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

~Isaiah 55:12