Just Grow Up

You know, I never thought I find myself saying those words.

I have two half sisters, but they were 14 and 15 when I was born. I hardly recall them since my dad's (their step-dad) job evaporated when the steel factory he worked for was sucked into the early 80's recession (thanks Jimmy Carter...). We moved to Michigan when my dad joined the Air Force and they stayed behind with friends to finish High School.

Then I had kids, five of them. And now, from time to time, more often recently, I find myself saying that phrase. "Just grow up..." usually followed by, "they didn't mean to hit you/break that/cut off your arm..." or something of that nature.

Now, all at once, not only an I saying that to my kids, I hear God saying that to me.

I made a mistake this weekend, I went to a Willow Creek Leadership Summit. You talk about challenging. It was two days of pure leadership wisdom with no fulff, not a great deal of flare (although it was creative and engaging), and challenge. Just today I wrote to a close friend:

MAN, I have to tell you, the last two days have been intense for me! I have really begun to feel a pull, a tension, a transition. Its like all of the sudden I am growing from young man to adult. Many things that I once thought were important have completely been left behind. I started feeling like I should tuck in my shirt (joking) keep my hair shorter (not entirely joking) and be more consistent in everything that I do (totally not joking at all).

So then comes the question, that I know we have talked about before,

what does it mean to put childish things away? Pauline scholar that
you are, you are one step ahead of my poor hermeneutic, "Paul is not
talking about toys and tops...", of course not, but in the same vein,he is. There is a time when we move from one life to the next. Like the eleven year old boy I saw today who was insulted that he was invited to VBS but would have gladly come to our Youth Ministry. I have to be honest with myself, who I am today is not who I will be a year from now, even a month from now. I know that God brought me here to be changed, to grow, this is my 40 years with Jethro. Soon comes the wilderness? The promise land?

This could be interesting.

I mean seriously, how do I know if I am grown up? Is it because I stop playing Nintendo (by myself) and only listen to KLove? Is it in my dresscode? My attitude? What is it? What will it be like? Will I ever get there?

I'll be sure to let you know.