Double Take

I'm doing a lot of pondering these days. Not as much rethinking, although there's been some of that too, I've been thinking about my blessings. I've been thinking about my decisions, my failures and my shortcomings. I've always known I'm not perfect, but that fact becomes more apparent day by day. As I look at my past in hopes of a wiser future, I'm amazed at the goodness of God as He guided me through pain, mistakes, joy and fear. All of my life has been plotted out by Him. He put each low point and each peak in the right place to the purpose of His glory. My freshmen year, while I maybe didn't realize it, was filled with mistakes that have served to show me where I have grown. My sophomore year was certainly a growing phase, but the failures still remained. I think sophomore year was a time of cementing who I am now. Now, as I dig into Junior year, I know who I am, who my peers are and more of who God is. I have so many people to thank for that, whether it be Christian High or Lake Lundgren. Certainly my parents. Three years into high school, this is what I have to say: A successful life is this. To worship the King day in and day out with a collection of people who wish to do the same. Not out of obligation, not out of guilt, but out of joy. Pure unadulterated joy. Not happiness, but the choice that we can make because Christ first loved us. My purpose is to love whoever I come in contact with, out of the joy that Christ has instilled in me. If my life has made even one person appreciate the grace of God more, then I have succeeded. How good is it that I'm not supposed to search for material happiness or popularity, but simply live in Christ's grace? God is good.