I am not sure when this actually happened, but I am noticing my son turning into a young man. Tonight he graduates from the 8th grade and in many ways I am so excited for him and then in other ways I am mourning time. I have LOVED being his mama and wish I could add on another 14 years to him being home with us. He has made it easy and challenged me at the same time, but not in the way most parents are challenged. He challenges me because of his great faith and steady walk. He seems unmoved by the hard times of growing up and when he is up against a struggle I have seen him make hard choices and follow through on what he knows is best. I find more and more when he asks me for advice on what he should do or say about a situation I try to deflect it back to him with ," ...what do you think buddy?" He has wisdom beyond many 14 year olds and I want him to know he can trust what he knows or thinks as he is making decisions that are from his character and relationship with God. Sure there are times I still manage to get my 2 cents in, but I see him developing into this solid teen. My prayers for him are that he would continue to be challenged , but to grow deeper in his faith. So although I mourn time, I also look with great expectation to the future as I know this son of mine has been set on a path with a purpose. Here is a little devotional he wrote and shared with the 8th grade graduation breakfast today. He was told yesterday that the teachers had meant to ask him two weeks ago to share, but somehow that never got to him, so he wrote this up last night. He wears a blue wrist band that reads, "HAGIOS"...
Hagios. Hagios is a term that means to be made sacred by God, holy. It is also now used in the word Saint. For we are all saints. The point I want to hit on this morning is us being set apart, being that sacred holy person God made you to be. For we are strangers and aliens of this world. The world isn’t even our home so there is no reason for us to act like it is. For we are put on Earth not to be in fellowship with the world but in fellowship with God. For we should be rebels to this world and its ways. Teenagers are probably the most underestimated people there are. Everyone thinks all teenagers party and are the definition of the world’s ways this is called the myth of adolescence . For God our creator put us on this world for a reason to show the world how Christians are different and declare his love to the world. Life is short but heaven will last forever. There is no reason for us Christian teens to fall. The devil throws everything he can at us TV, computer, music, magazines etc. If one falls, we must unite together to help that person get out of his or her struggles. One way for us to avoid struggles is by listening to our God -given conscience which we receive by reading His word. An ancient Navajo Indian tradition says your conscience is a triangle that turns and pricks the flesh of your heart when you do something wrong. But if you keep ignoring that triangle the corners slowly get rounder until it’s a circle and you don’t feel anything at all. So pretty much we need to build that strong foundation in our faith. As I have watched my Uncle fighting for his life I’ve seen his faith sky rocket to heights I have never seen before in a person. Right now I don’t see him worrying about the world and what’s on here, but he is looking toward God. He tells us he feels God’s presence wherever he goes and does. I will like to leave you with this verse: 2 Corinthians 6:17
17
"Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
So lets lead be that Revolution against the world!
