The Valley

     What I've learned about normal the past year, if anything, is that it is overrated. Normality is something that everyone strives for, yet at the same time normal is also too "mainstream". In my humble opinion, normal is lame. Normal means no risk taking, no taking chances, no trying new things or being brave. Normal means never being able to go to or experiences places and situations on your own. Normal means never experiencing the feeling of adrenalin rushing through your veins, with each pulse of your heart as your bones shiver; The hair sticks up on your skin and your senses are heightened. Normal, to me, just flat out means not living. You see, there is no room in my life for normality. 

     The second most important thing that I believe I learned in the past year is just how quickly time flies. Anyone who is around my age knows exactly what it feels like to be constantly told that phrase; "time flies!". I agree, it is definitely overused. But I don't think thats the problem. I think the problem is that no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to slow it down. I think I am constantly focused on how I can stop time just long enough to enjoy whatever the moment is that I'm in at that moment, more so than just focusing on how to FULLY and COMPLETELY enjoy life at that moment. Ive learned that time is going to race by you and there is absolutely nothing you can do to slow it down, speed it up or pause it. The good news though is that you are one hundred percent in charge of how you choose to take the time that has been given to you. You as your own individual is totally in control of when you decide to take a situation as it is, find your joy and make the most of it. Complaining only makes it worse, I promise. 

     Some one told me once how as a Christian, I'm going to experience a lot of those "Jesus high's" that everyone talks about. Whether it's at camp, on a mission trip or in church, the mountain top Jesus high experience is inevitable. Here's the problem with that; have you ever realized the higher you climb up the mountain, the more problems your body begins to face? Altitude sickness my friends, it is real let me tell you. On the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, climbers are only allotted fifteen minutes on the beautiful mountain top to soak in that view. Why? Because your brain would literally explode if you stayed up any longer. The altitude and lack of oxygen would get to you and you would become very sick and most likely die. We as humans just physically are not able to stay on the top of the mountain. Like wise, as Christians, we are not meant to live at the perfect, beautiful mountain top experience either. There is no vegetation, no air, no life. In the valleys though, THAT is where there is life; people living and breathing and moving. In the valleys, we are meant to take hold, live with others and share the incredible love and mercy that is in the name of Jesus Christ at the cross. In the valley is where we belong.
     I don't know about anyone else, but I want to live. I want to experience all that God has for me in those valleys, surrounded by other living and breathing people. I want to enjoy life in the moment, reminisce on the past and relish. I want to live each day with the fullest amount of joy remembering each precious moment as they pass by. I want to live life to the fullest. The thought of a normal, boring, quiet life spent on the mountain top does not interest me. 

An Open Prayer to my Parents

     My parents. The two people who have forever cared for, loved, respected, protected, trusted and created me. The amount of love that they have for me is the driving force that continually fuels my faith in You the father and Jesus Christ. In fact, the very love and mercy that my parents continually show me is the love and mercy that Jesus showed us on the cross. If only I could show my parents just how much I appreciate all that they do, or thank them enough to even begin to scratch the surface. Well, that's why I am sharing this prayer...

     God,

normally I would start out a prayer with the phrase "thank you for..." and fill it in with whatever I could come up with in a short amount of time about the day that had just concluded. Normally I would go through listing off the people in my family, (dog's of course included), thanking you for each individual. Normally I would add a couple extra words about my parents just to make sure it sounded like I was extra thankful for them.
     God, what I want to thank you for are many things. First, thank you for placing me with the man and wife that you did. They show me everyday in new ways what it means to be truly committed to a love and fully committed to an everlasting relationship that is bound by God. They are my examples in many ways, but for that in particular, thank you. 

     Second, thank you for the grace, diligence, wisdom and love that my father shares with me daily. The grace seems to pool as I repeatedly make mistakes. His diligence is like that of a carpenter. He refuses to quit until the job is not only done, but done perfectly as he puts is full effort into anything, even if it's just assembling a bed side shelf for my dorm room. The wisdom must be a gift. I am not sure where that comes from but I know that it is not an earthly wisdom. My dad has this understanding of people and their problems that is like none other. He could sit and listen to someone complain for hours without interruption yet still have words that can make the whole rant seem ridiculous at the conclusion. Now God, thank you, thank you, thank you for the amount of love that my father has for my family and me. Thank you for the love that he showed us growing up by attending each game, practice, meet, concert or ceremony. Thank you for the love that it takes to raise three very independent children. Thank you for just the constant knowing of "my dad loves me.". The fact that I have never questioned or doubted my father's love is something rare and precious. Not many people know it and if they do, it's not the way I know it. Thank you God for the attributes that you gave my father many years ago when he first became a dad. Thank you for his ability to have grace, work with diligence, share his wisdom, and love continually. 

     Third, for my mom. My mother is the sweetest woman I know. There are so many incredible qualities that I could point out, like the way that she lives her life and serves others. The way that she loves her children though, may surpass all of her other amazing abilities. 

     You have given my mother the voice of an angel, patience that comes from God, thoughtfulness beyond belief, and loyalty like I have never witnessed. When I say she has the voice of an angel, well you know what I mean a) you're God and b) you're surrounded by angels. But what I mean is just the way she speaks to not only me but everyone else she comes in contact with. Her voice is soothing and inviting, it's sweet and caring but she can make anyone laugh. Her voice is that of an angel and for that, I thank you. Father, the patience that you have blessed my mother with was definitely not passed down to me. I could not think of any other person in the world that could be treated so horribly by someone she loves so deeply, but still welcome them daily with open arms and forgiveness (especially in the middle school/high school years). God thank you for her patience that is not from this world, I continually learn from it day by day. God her thoughtfulness and her loyalty go hand in hand. She thinks of everyone else she loves so dearly before herself and shows her loyalty to them in the way, that sticks out to me the most, that she prays for each individual. She loves people so well, cares for them and makes it her duty to make sure that they feel loved and comforted by Jesus. Her loyalty is shown through her prayers and the constant checking on of friends and family when she knows that they are going through something big, or maybe just because she wanted to. I adore that about my mother. 

     You very well know that it was not until this past year that my mom became my best friend. I didn't realize how incredible she was until I was able to leave and be on my own for some time. When I came home, all I wanted to do was sit and listen to her talk for hours. Still I wish that we could just spend each passing day talking and laughing. It is going to be so hard to say goodbye to my mother and best friend again, but what I am learning and eventually will know, is that this next journey apart will continue to grow us as individuals and bring us closer. 

     God, you know that I have not even scratched the surface on how thankful I am for my two parents. I can't imagine how hard it must be as a parent to say goodbye to their child as they leave for a gap year of their freshman year of college. All I can think of is how hard it is saying goodbye to the two people that know and love me better than anyone. What I hold on to though is that when I look back at my relationship with my parents before I left this time last year and scan through quickly all of the images that represent the growth of our relationship, I can only imagine how much our relationships with continue to grow. So thank you God for my parents and for the love patience, wisdom, thoughtfulness, etc. that you have bestowed upon them to share with their children. 

Amen.