I wrote part of this post a few months ago on a blog I co-write with a friend. This subject is something that is close to me. You can check out the other blog at The Fourth Journal. Okay, here it goes...
I sit here beside the open front door with a cool rainy breeze floating through the stuffy air. The blackbird is cackling, the mockingbird is ‘mocking’, and the red robin is trilling. Cars whiz by on the street, some confident and smooth, others as if they’re on their last drive. So many things I ought to be doing, but, at this moment, I can’t seem to make myself. Hmmm.
Here, let me pour you a cup of Jasmine tea. Do you see that little table by the window? Yes, the white wicker one with the tablecloth. Why don’t you go ahead and sit down while I bring the tea over? It’s no trouble at all. I am sorry about the papers, they seem to be all over the place. Ah, here you go, I’ll just set this on the saucer for you. Now, let me bring out the cookies and then we’ll be ready. There we are. Alright, let’s talk.
Change... It's hard. It’s different. Change is stepping out into the unknown, leaving what is familiar behind, and pressing forward. Change is getting out of your comfort zone. Change really can be a good thing; you wouldn't want to be in high school for the rest of your life, now would you? No way! Change is a part of growing up, it is the defining point and determines how you will be for the rest of your life. You can either change for the better or the worse. But, keep in mind, the choices you make now can determine where you will be in the future.
Make the right decisions, choose the right friendships. If there are friends in your life who do nothing but tear you down and ridicule you, get out of that relationship, it's unhealthy. You want friends who will be there for you, who will encourage and build you up. They are the ones who want the best for you, and will tell you when you are messing up... Choose your friends wisely.
Relationships. Lately, dating relationships have been budding up all around me, some happening to good friends. It isn’t a bad thing, it just takes time getting used to. I feel like it’s my responsibility to watch over my friends and it worries me when they aren’t careful. When it comes to marriage and finding the ‘right one’, it takes time, no rushing. Please don't fall for the first guy or girl who tells you that they "love" you. You need to know that they really, truly, deeply know what it is that they are saying. Love is a commitment. If they don't want to commit, then they probably don't love you. They're just in it for the ride.
It's easy to want to be in a dating relationship: the thrill of having someone like you, going on dates, your first kiss, not being lonely... But, remember to be yourself. Don't think that you have to act in a certain way for a specific guy or girl to like you. They need to like you for who you really are, who God created you to be. In the words of my dear friend and fellow writer, Tsahov Vered, "You do not need to change in any way except in growing closer to God. Seeking Him with all your heart and being. Rely on Him wholly."
Even if you feel like you are really "in love", please be open to what those closest to you have to say. They are watching from an outside perspective and can see what you aren't able to see (or what you choose to ignore). Don't give your heart away so easily. Keep some mystery about yourself :). Once easily given, also easily broken. Relationships take time, trust, friendship, purity, mystery... I don't want you to have a broken heart.
Sigh, I've probably talked your ears off now, haven't I? Oh dear, I think your tea has cooled, and I see you haven't even made a dent in the cookies. Here, let me take your cup and warm it up. While I'm doing that, go ahead to the back porch and sit on one of those rocking chairs. Ah, just look at that view of the mountains. I'll join you in a minute to breathe in that sweet rainy air. Oh, and don't forget to think about what I've said! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
:)
