Garden Variety Neurosis

I went to a open house tonight for a young man that I first met when he was only two years old.

As with all such gatherings at this time of year, there was a nice display of pictures documenting his development from a wide-eyed innocent, to a young man experienced a bit in life, yet blissfully unaware of all that could happen along the way. I felt a bit sad as I looked at these photos, and realized that the innocent two year old I first met sixteen years ago is forever gone, and in his place is a young man who is ready and eager to experience the world outside of this sleepy little town.

I think this is why I would have such a difficult time with having a child of my own...How does one make peace with a child's inevitable loss of innocence?

More than that, though, I realized that he was on the threshhold of an entirely new season in his life. As I looked at those pictures, I wondered what may lay ahead for the blonde haired, blue eyed, happy-go-lucky kid we were there to celebrate tonight. And, as with everyone there, I came to the realization that, whatever may lay ahead for him, it is his to experience, his to survive and make peace with, his to learn from. We all come through the things life throws at us, perhaps scarred from the battle, but stronger and wiser for it.

My prayer for him is that, if he does not already know Christ, that he will have a life changing encounter with Him amidst all that life will bring him. My relationship with Christ has been the single constant through all the things I've experienced, particularly in the last year or so. Friends hurt you, circumstances change, finances evaporate. All this world has to offer is temporal, and cannot keep its promise of certainty. But Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. It is my prayer that this young man will find that constant...that Rock...and build his life there.

I have a page on MySpace, as does this young man, his younger brother, and many of their friends. As I read through their profiles, my heart was deeply grieved to see the spirit of rebellion that is feeding off of their young lives right now. Still, I am comforted in the realization that we were all there at one time...certainly some more than others, but we all played in the same neighborhood...and, by God's endless and unrelenting grace, I am now His. It is my fervent hope that these young men and women, so enthralled by the temporal things of this world, will fall deeply in love with our unchanging God.