I've thought a lot about my High School Days since I recently received an invitation to my 25th High School Reunion. I've been on Classmates.com to get updates and to see what old friends have logged on. There are very few of those classmates that I have kept in contact with so it seems a bit foreign. Those days stir up some old memories and old feelings, some of which regretful.
I was one of the "cool" kids. The way I dressed, the way I acted. I was friends with almost everyone so was popular. I was concerned about what people thought of me. I was careful to keep the right alliances in order to keep my popularity. But that had its problems.
Few of my really "cool" friends went to my church. The ones that did were not active in youth group, at least not that I remember. If they would have been, I'd have been there too. But I wasn't. I had a growing faith, but for some reason I was too cool for some church activities.
I was afraid of what my friends might think of me.
"If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you." (John 15:18-19, The Message)
This passage continues to challenge me. I like it when I'm popular. But I like it even more when I know that God is pleased with me. I have accepted the fact that I have to give up my popularity with the world when I take sides with Jesus. In fact, the closer I get to him, the less and less I care about what the world thinks anyway, because I've discovered the world is fickle and didn't really care about me all that much anyway.
When I left high school, I thought I had tons of friends. By the time my freshman year was over I attempted to reconnect with some high school friends over the next summer. What I discovered is that just as I had moved on, so had they. Most of the phone calls I made were never returned. And to this day I have never talked to most of those "friends." For a long time it bothered me. It doesn't anymore. God had other plans, other friends.
Today when I look at the friends I have made and keep, I recognize that to have kept those old friendships would have meant I would have never experienced the new ones I have experienced over the past 25 years, especially my friendship with Christ. That is the one that has made all the difference in my personal growth and where I have found the greatest acceptance.
I'll go to my 25th reunion. I'll surprise most of them with my vocation. (Most of them won't see that coming!) I'll meet spouses and talk about great memories with old friends, I'll share my faith and my story as I listen to others. At the end of the night I may have rekindled a friendship or two but now for the right reasons because I really don't care anymore what they think of me.
Jesus has called me his friend and that's as popular as anyone can get!
Peace ><>
pc
3 comments:
If we keep faith in Christ he has a great reunion planned for us.
When I was in high school I had many friends....I had friends from every group...I blended with all of them. I did however waste way too much time worrying about what other's thought of me...I worried about every last detail..did I have the right clothes, the right hair, am I hanging out at the right place. What a waste of time. I have tried to teach my kids that those worries are such a zap of our energy...they have figured it out really well...so much better than I ever did. They know that is not what's important, they wear their faith right on their sleeve and God Bless them for that. It feels go to be at a place in my life that I finally don't care what other's think. I do care about what my family and what my very close friends think of me...I hope they think I am living a life in God's grace. I wish it hadn't taken me as long as it did. But I am there now...that is what counts. In fact, I even where white socks under my jeans...with regular shoes! EEK!! and I don't care what anyone thinks of that! My class is passing on the 25th renuion this year...and that's ok by me. It doesn't seem as important as it did at 10years when I still into the importance of who I am...but I look forward to seeing my old friends at the 30th!
Friends are rocks that anchor my world. When I am dancing and singing, they are there to celebrate that with me. When the times are rocky, I look and there they stand smiling and encouraging me to hold onto them.
High School friends were defined by those I could be "real" with. To date, I have 1 of those still hanging in my world. She knows my faith connections and I pray that this witness will give her pause from time to time to think about her own relationship with God.
I pray that God keeps me mindful always to sow true friendships as I am really enjoying being part of God's Class of Kid's!
Post a Comment