The beginning of the rest of life

The phrase "nobody said this was easy" (taken from a Coldplay song called "The Scientist") has really been hitting home lately. For some reason I always thought that getting through college would make the rest of life easy. I mean, no more homework, having time for a life, having a job, what is there to make life hard? Oh yeah, not having a place to connect with many people your age, rent, taxes, loans, utilities, loans, an eight-to-five work day, loans, car payments, and simply the realization that churches just want to put on a show instead of creating true disciples of Christ. That last one may not be common to all or even many college students, but it is certainly on my mind. Along with wondering how to live as a Christian outside the comfort of family or the school community, how to live as a follower rather than a leader, or even how to be a leader outside of Westmont. What the crap? Why can't life just be easy?

But I guess that is the whole point. If life was easy, if all of these questions could be pondered and answered in an hour, or looked up on Wikipedia, how would we grow or mature as human beings and as Christians? We would end up being simple, superficial people caught up with all of the humdrum, meaningless things of life like celebrity gossip and jelly beans. It is the hard times in life where we are forced to dig down inside ourselves to find something that we didn't know was there. It is the hard times in life where God is able to show us more vividly, in ways that are easier for us to see, that he cares about and loves us. We have to trust that God knows what is best for us. For me. It is always easier to say that phrase in reference to others, but much harder to apply it to self. And I cannot say that I truly believe this all the time. I definitely have my times of doubt. One thing I can say, though, is that I certainly hope that this is true all the time, which Dr. Wennberg would say is apologetically acceptable for a time.

So, I suppose that is where I am right now. Somewhere on the border between believing and hoping. That God will give my life meaning. That He will guide me and grow me and restore me. That I will be a benefactor of His promise to never leave or forsake me.

Thus I shall leave you with one of my favorite quotes. It is from the book Searching for God Knows What, by Donald Miller. He is having a conversation with a friend about the realities of life.

'But the facts of reality stink,' I told him. 'Reality is like a fine wine,' he said to me. 'It will not appeal to children.'