These titles are always so hard to come up with

The theme of this post is that you will never be the person you once were.

Story time!

Today I went to volunteer at an assisted living area close by. A gentleman was celebrating his 100th birthday! It was interesting to see that someone at his age still wanted the attention from the ladies! He wanted hugs and kisses...and got em. I wasn't all that much of help, but people were fighting for my attention. Had nothing to do with me, except that I was there. They simply wanted to talk with a young person and share their life and listen to what is going on in our lives. Such a refreshing and encouraging visit. I have never spent much time with elderly people, but they have so much to offer, and I have so much to offer them.

Also, I joined a new CP group. I am not entering the "not college" life. I had no idea how I was going to be able to connect with these people the way that I could with college students I have been around with. But, they are not just people...truly they are brothers and sisters. Different? yes. Different stages of life? yes. But we are united in Christ and pursuit of glorifying our God who is our hope. good stuff.

So what does this have to do with the theme? If you haven't watched the movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance", you need to. There is a beautiful scene where a young man, has lost a sense of himself...in reference to golfing terms...he has lost his swing. The world had had its way with him, and along the way, he lost his swing. Bagger Vance, comes along to help him find his swing. The scene is this...his ball has been shanked into the woods. He has memories of war that comes back to him as he reaches down for his ball. Shaking, he drops his clubs and rests his hands on his knees. He reaches his hand out. Bagger Vance asks him what he's doin. Tells him he has been holding onto this long enough. That he can either walk away and crawl back to his life he has been living...lost and confused...or he can stay and play the game and come out of the shadows.

You see, he used to be the premier upcoming golfer. But things happened. He would never be the golfer he used to be; he would never be the person he used to be. His swing had changed, but he still had his own swing that was given to him, that no one else could duplicate.

Life is hard. It never gets easier. Sometimes we lose a sense of who we are and our direction and purpose. We don't understand, and don't know how to move on. Sometimes things happen that are just out of our control and beyond our understanding, and we feel the pain of sin or correction. I will never be the lighthearted young man I was my freshman year and growing up. I have grown; I have matured; I have more responsibilities; I have been affected by the world and things beyond my control; these things prevent me from being who I used to be. Now I find my joy and lightheartedness in different things. My joy and lightheartedness is expressed differently. My swing has changed, but it is still my swing I had to find.

So who cares about this? Maybe no one. But be encouraged. If your hope is in Christ Jesus and what He accomplished, then you stand on a foundation that cannot be shaken. The Spirit and Word of God along with fellowship with others and whatever other means God communicates to His children, will sanctify you. You will become more and more holy as you continue to pursue God. No matter what happens, God is always faithful. He has been for me. He will be forever. Live for the glory of God and His kingdom.

Go watch that movie. I encourage you to meditate how God has shown His love to you as you process the movie.