Life

Ever wonder what you're going to do with the rest of your life?  This is one question that is virtually pounding the inside of my mind everyday, demanding an answer that I don't have.  There is so much stuff to think about!  How can I possibly decide that?  I mean really, I know everyone says that the average person changes career like 6 times in their life or something like that, but really, I don't think it's that easy.  They leave out the little detail that each one of those careers is in a general area- biology, journalism, business, whatever.  Yeah, they change jobs, but they're all the same types of jobs.  And do you know what the world is making me do?  Choose what my variety of jobs will be right now.  Now?!  Really?  Yeah- 18 years old and they're telling me that I have to pick a major which, in essence, determines my future career(s), which determines all sorts of things, like my income, where I'll live, and the people I'll meet.  I mean, seriously, I'm 18.  And I have to choose now?

Society (and school) says I do.  Well that's a scary thought, because really if you take all that into account, I basically have to decide who I am.  Which scares me witless.  I don't have a clue who I really am.  I know what I like, what I don't like, what I'm good at, what I'm bad at, but does that define who I am?  That seems kinda superficial, even incorrect.  I mean, am I defined by what I'm good at?  What if I'm good at something but I hate doing it?  Should I still put my emphasis in that area just because I'm good at it?  I tend to think not.

Suffice to say that I don't know what to do.  At one point in the recent past I went ahead and asked someone who I hold in very high esteem (a hero of mine, actually) what to do, and honestly, I didn't really expect an answer because he's kindof, well, famous.  He actually did answer me, which in itself was really cool, but what he said was even cooler: "Don't be stressed that you don't know your true spot in life.  Not many people do.  Not even me.  ...  You should just live Christ."  Now, when he said he didn't know his place in life either, that pretty much astonished me.  I was like seriously?  You're a famous musician/author!  How can you possibly not know what you're doing?  It made me think.  How many people actually do know where they're supposed to be?  Probably not nearly as many as we think or as many who claim to know.  

Which brings me to the last part of what he said: "Just live for Christ."  Well it doesn't get much simpler than that, but you know what?  He's right.  God's gonna get me to where I need to be when I need to be there.  As if to emphasize this point the next song that came up on my itunes while on shuffle was "I Give Up" by Stellar Kart.  Really, that's all I have to do.  Yeah, I'm still going to have to make decisions, obviously, but I don't have to do it all.  I just have to give it to God, and he'll take it in his hands.  He'll take care of it.  Kindof a relief, not gonna lie.

-Rachel

P.S. Song reference- this is a youtube of Stellar Kart's "I Give Up."  Check it out, it's a goooooood song.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTYh2XEtA_Y

How do you think?

One of the hardest things in life is to change your way of thinking.  As hard as it might be to change your actions or what you say, it's infinitely easier to change those things than to change what goes on in the confines of your own mind.  Thoughts come almost inadvertently to the front of your mind, and sometimes it feels like you can't do anything about it.  In the bible it says that thinking a thought has as much impact and consequence as actually doing the action- a sinful thought is just as bad as a sinful action (VERSE).  Well that's kind of frightening, no?  I mean, normally we think that our thoughts won't hurt anyone- it's not like anyone can hear or see them anyway, right?  WRONG.  Firstly, God can hear all of our thoughts before we even think them, and it pains him to see us thinking a lot of the things we envision.  Try to remember all of the thoughts you've had in the past few hours.  Next, separate them into separate groups based on their nature; were they selfish, selfless, vengeful, amiable, or inconsequential?  Look at the list.  Each thought in the negative columns counts as a sin.  And that's just recently.  What about all the thoughts you've ever had?   Good days, bad days, everything in between, it all counts.  It's a scary thought.  What are we supposed to do with something like that?

CHANGE IT.  As hard as it is, change what you're thinking, because not only can God see what you're thinking (which is rather important), everyone else will eventually be able to also.  Whatever you're thinking eventually becomes something you say, or do, or imply.  Your thoughts dictate your words and your actions, whether you like it or not.  What you're thinking is really who you are- what you say and do is who you want other people to think you are.  Eventually the real you- your mind- is gonna come out in some way or another.

Examine your thoughts again.  Don't like what you find?  Yeah, me neither.  As good of a person as you might think you are, you're a sinner.  Everyone is, unless you happen to be the Son of God, and there's only one of Him.  So as hard as it is, don't think the bad stuff.  Keep your thoughts as pure as filtered drinking water.  Purer, even.  Someone makes you mad, pray FOR him or her instead of envisioning him or her failing miserably at his or her next soccer game, or embarrassing him- or herself during his or her speech.

It's a high goal to aim for, I know it, and in the beginning it's gonna be really, really hard.  But in the end you might just find that thinking happy good-luck thoughts for other people might actually make you feel happy yourself.  Gee, what a concept.  :)

-Rachel