To The Full.

When we are born, we are carefree. Fun is our middle name, wonder fills our hearts and the world is an enormous playground in our innocent, adolescent eyes. We seem to think that we are invincible and that danger will never phase us. Point being, we seem to live life to the fullest at our youngest, most vulnerable stage in life. It is in the stage, that we are taught two valuable lessons. The first being not to stick bugs and crawly creatures of all shapes and sizes into our diapers. This was a lesson I definitely heard, but failed at when test time came crawling by my feet. The second lesson was that we could be ANYTHING that we set our hearts on being. Naturally, we all believed this, because of the youthful carelessness and freedom we possessed. "You can be president if you really want!", "Maybe you'll be an astronaut!". We've all heard these infamous lines at least once or twice in the span of our lives, so far, whether it be from a teacher, parent, friend, family member, or in my case, strangers waiting to get their cars fixed in the auto mechanic shop that I go to with my father to have his oil changed. No matter where you've heard it, it has been said. But was it all truth?

Fast forward a few years. We are now entering the preteen years. The awkward, socially terrifying jungle full of gossip, rumors, Jr. High, cliques, bad hair, beginners make up, padded sports bras and endless anxiety (*RESULTS OF PRETEEN YEARS MAY VARY*). Now, two more lessons come into play. Or should I say, one more lesson and one old, familiar lesson that has been slightly edited. We now have to say no to peer pressure and instead of being able to be anything we want, we must begin to look at what job we want to have once we grow into mature adults. "You can be president" now becomes, "You can work in state government!", or "You can become an engineer and work on computers for NASA". But, why? Why has my horizon suddenly become more dim and less adventurous?

Finally, we are young adults. We have grown into the stage between fully grown and finishing up adolescence. Once again, that age old lesson has been edited, but this time, it's barely even recognizable. Now, the lesson says that we can be anything we want to be, as long as it provides success in life, financial security, useful services to our fellow citizens, and "happiness".

Young people, I am OUTRAGED. To me, this "lesson" has become a "sentencing" to a cookie-cutter life; a life that I, myself never asked for, nor do I want.

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full". What exactly is life to the full? Is it unlimited success in life? Financial security? Useful services to our fellow citizens? I say no. I refuse to live out my life as if I need the security of money, comfortable living arrangements, and so many other things that take away the adventure and wonder of life that we all believed in at some point in our lives. 

Life to the full, to me, is the life that Christ has planned for me. Never once has The Lord told me, "My daughter, I gave you life, now go live it how the world wants you to". My heart breaks at the thought of our culture and society draining the life out of "life to the full". You don't want to work a nine to five job behind a desk. So what? You want to be an astronaut, whizzing into outer space as we speak. SO WHAT? Maybe you just want to skip college and go straight for Europe to backpack around the world. Do it! Jesus is dreaming right along with us. He instills dreams and desires in our hearts for a reason. He wants to live out these dreams with us so that we can live them out to the full. Now, what if you do want to find a job, settle down and live a nice life right where you are? GO AHEAD! So long as you are living right where you are to the full. Living every day the way that He intended for you.

So, whether I end up an accountant at a huge business firm, or climbing mountains with a backpack of my all of my belongings over one shoulder, I will live my life to the full. I will not be chained down by parents, friends, family members or any voice in society telling me to live a certain way in order to be "happy" and secure. The wonder of life will not leave my heart now that freedom has become my middle name. But, for now, I will take on today living life to the full, as well.

 Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."