Hope (and Laments) of Growing Up


I think I've hit a milestone in life. I'ts been several years in the making but I think I've arrived....


It's this period of time when you realize your childhood has slipped past your grasp and hid in a corner somewhere-taking your sense of wonder & dreams/plans about "how life could be"  right along with it... and all that's left is monotonous drudgery and the panic that comes with paying taxes, car insurance, college plans, applying for financial aid and realizing the necessity of getting a part time job-Which brings with it job interviews, clinicals in a nursing home, unhappy co-workers/patients, etc... But it has also given me many opportunities to share the gospel and conquer my fears. I'm learning to live less for other human's approval (or even my own approval!) and more for what Christ is calling me to do and how to live as He reveals in his Word.

I know God has put me right where I need to be in life, and I have full confidence in his sovereign control of my circumstances, and I'm learning to be thankful for every step of the way! I am finding out, though, that life is much different than what I imagined as a kid. As time goes on part of me wants to boldly go out and experience adulthood, while another part just wants to go hide in my blanket fort and watch Dragon Tale re-runs!

 My final thought is this, as 1 Timothy 1:7 says: "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" 
...and by God's grace I'm striving to live out this verse everyday-all for His Glory!

Comments

  1. JoAnneMarch 25, 2017 at 11:53 PM

    Great writing! I remember having similar struggles at your age....well a bit younger because at 21 Gpa and I were pregnant, with unhappy parents and getting married. So then we HAD to get into adulthood fast.. But one inportant message from me....never be bored or think life is drudgery for too long! Go out in nature and appreciate God's beauty...or notice the people you know who have their own big struggles and be there to help one of them. Doing those things will bring wonder and joy back to you. Every day you are doing something for God. You are touching people and may not even know it. And that is what makes life worth it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haley E. AllenMarch 28, 2017 at 1:28 PM

    Definitely :) I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you and Grandpa---Being even younger than me, with a child and living out on your own! But even then God was working in your lives <3

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Baby Allen (Part 2)

Here are some other important pics. 😊  The positive pregnancy test. (July 18th)  Mom, you're a Grandma! (She was SO excited!)  Promoted to Grandpa!! (Yes, we both teared up 😊 ) Fun fact, later that same day Jeremiah and Kaylie came over to announce that they too were expecting a little one! We managed to get pregnant within 2 weeks of each other! How'd we do that?!😆 Of course Justin and I had to do a goofy photoshoot out by the river too:     Equipping all that Dad gear 😎 (Yes, we totally used Kiana's stuffed rabbit as a fake baby... we're weird like that... 😆 ) So, as my pregnancy progressed and I got sicker and sicker I wasn't able to keep up with my internship at CBC. I also wouldn't be able to bring the baby in to the church office to work after she was born and the sickness had subsided. So ultimately we had to let go of the plan to do the internship in Washington. Maybe a different year, maybe a different church, who knows what God has down the...
Read more

1 1/2 Volt Ham...AKA Easter Dinner

Image
It was the beginning of a typical Sunday morning .... or so we thought.... Everyone woke up and proceeded, quite studiously, with farm chores...milking goats, feeding chickens, checking horses etc... then we drove down to church for a wonderful Easter sermon and tasty potluck breakfast. All was well so far! We arrived home and anxiously put our Easter dinner in the oven ASAP... Cheesy scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole (special recipe of my great grandmother's---lovingly called "Grandma Betty"s Green Beans") and an expensive honey roasted ham.... Yum!  :D The next couple hours was spent lazing around or doing fun crafty stuff... Lydia glued some rhinestones to her glasses, mom braided her hair, I snuggled with my baby goats and newly hatched baby chicks... You get the picture :) I also worked tonight, but my family was so nice and waited for me to get back before eating dinner... (at 8pm I give them credit!) I walked in to a beautifully decorated din...
Read more

Update on Last Summer in Alaska!!

Image
Time is going by REALLY fast!! There are so many things I could talk about but I don't want to write a whole book! (And you probably don't want to read a whole book for that matter... 😜) I had the opportunity to spend last summer in Alaska with InterAct Ministries. They have something called the "Engage!" program which is designed to give young people experience in missions work and give them a taste of what that looks like specifically in Alaska. Here's a quick video of our time there! I have to say, it was a very growing and stretching experience in a lot of ways! I am so thankful to have spent my summer up here. I've made friends, shared the gospel, prayed hard and often, gotten bitten by mosquitoes and other bugs more times than I could count, caught a fish, bought some beaver fur, hiked (small) mountains, bonded with my teammates and even worked as dispatch at an airport!  All of these experiences are cool in their own right, yet...
Read more