Growing Up

Ephesians 4:14-16

One of my best friends is getting married this weekend. We have been planning for this wedding for 5 months now. Another friend of mine is about to have her first child. My sister is pregnant with her second child-- a little boy they will name Raydon. I have been out of high school for 5 quick years, and out of nursing school for 2 even quicker years. It hit me a few months ago that I'm not a kid anymore. I can no longer use that excuse. I am watching my nephew grow up. Watching make the mistakes that we all make as kids-- drinking too much water in the swimming pool. Wiping a chocolate mouth on Mama's couch. And the list continues.There are only a few things that you have to do once and you won't do them again. But, what is the most frustrating for me is that I am seeing in myself making the same mistakes, and attempting to learn the same lessons that I was attempting to learn a couple of years ago.

In the passage before this, Paul talks about unity and how we all fit together to form one Body-- the Church. It has been described as an alliteration to the human body as well as braiding together a rope. The individual strands are weak, but put all together, the whole is strong and sure and nearly unstoppable. It can stop a freightliner, hoist metal beams and countless other seemingly impossible tasks. However, the rope is only as strong as it's weakest strand.

Part of our calling as Chirst followers is to continue to grow. To grow in His teachings, in our knowledge of Him, in our Confidence in Him, in being able to discerne between false teachings and those of a sound teacher, those of a schemer and one who has our best interests at heart. If the weakest strand of the rope is thickened and reinforced and strengthened, then the whole rope-- the whole Church-- will benefit.

How do we become strengthened? By engaging in community-- small groups, Sunday School classes, ONE!, groups of friends who are not afraid to tell you how it is. By having cosistent quiet times and prayer times. By spending time with the God that breathed life into us and knit us together in our mother's wombs. It is time to quit being infants and start growing up. Me included.