Random Thoughts

I was visiting with a friend this week who I used to go to school with 20 years ago. I can't even believe I'm old enough to use that phrase already - "20 years ago". We were reminiscing about all the crazy ideas we were brainwashed with. The years at this school were not good years. Every aspect of our lives were controlled by the headmaster. The memories that we shared together were only for giving solace to one another because only those of us who went to this school understand how each other feel. But God truly does work all things for good - even this experience.

I got to thinking when I got home about one of the many 'key phrases' the head instructor used to say to us. He would tell us, "Pressure and Conflict build Character". This was ingrained in us. It was their way to get us to do anything we didn't want to do. We were not allowed to question or disagree, just follow. We were not allowed to think for ourselves - that might have been dangerous.

But now I look back and see so many lies that I thought were truths because adults were teaching them to us. And adults wouldn't purposely lead you astray, would they? I trusted them. Anyways, I realized that I didn't buy into that phrase any longer. I have come to learn that suffering and pain cause us to turn to God and that pressure and conflict just reveal our true character - not build it. Character is built under the education, care, instruction and guidance of our parents. Hard work, perseverance and having to give up something (your time, your stuff, your money, etc.) builds character.

Then I started questioning. If this was a "Christian" school (I use that term in the loosest sense of the word) why did they care more about building morals than pointing us to rely on God? I'm afraid that's often the horrible downfall of too many well-meaning "Christian" schools, organizations, etc. Let's just make "good kids". If they question or rebel or disagree - they're not good. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Those kids are seeking answers, seeking a way to fill the void inside them that religion and morals aren't filling.

That was a blast from the past, wasn't it?! I think my brain is still processing this. As God reveals more truths to me it only makes me all the more thankful that He leads me through 'pressure and conflict' and is changing me from the inside out.

*image credit: Creator:Aleksey

New Nomenclature

This kid never ceases to crack me up. At lunch today he was telling us a story about how one of his friends hit him in the gutters while they were pretend fighting. Wait a minute...what gutters??? "You know" he says, "my boy parts." Oh, I see. "Honey, how did you come up with that name?" Last I heard, they were called something different. He replied, "I don't know. I just think we can come up with something better than boring old 'boy parts'." We wouldn't want life to be boring, would we?