Thursday, March 20, 2003

FREEDOM :: RESPONSIBILITY

i'm beginning to learn what it means to be an adult. i've hung around adults my whole life (the convenient byproduct of having no siblings and being close to my parents) so i've always been seen as more "mature." but i'm only starting to understand what it means to have the freedom to choose for myself what i think is best and then to be responsible for my choices. after our EM last night (which, by God's grace, went so much better than we expected or deserved), our fellowship went out to eat. since i'd only eaten a sandwhich, a pear and some random snacks the whole day, i knew i had to get some food into my system. so i decided to go, even though i knew i had an 8:30am class this morning. but this morning, when i awoke, it was already 8:30. and on top of that, i had a splitting headache.

this is where my lesson in freedom comes in. i knew i had to make some choices: would i rush around to get ready and dash off to class so i would be only 15 minutes late? or would i take the time to get some scripture into my brain and hand the day over to God before i left for class and be an hour late? the child in me would have taken the first option. i mean, i wouldn't want my teacher to take marks off or be mad at me, would i? but then i thought for a moment and i realized that i am my own person. i can choose to walk in late if i know that's what i need to do. it's a three hour studio class so it's not like i'd be interrupting anything. and if my teacher wants to dock me marks for being late, so be it.

this morning, i understood a little more of what it means to break free from trying to win the approval of people around me. the only One i need the approval of is God. and if i'm right with Him, the rest of the world is taken care of. i also learned a bit about wisdom: striving to please God will make you a wise spender of time.

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
~Psalm 90:12~

No comments: