Blessed

Today I ventured out for my third Cub game of the season.

This time again with co-workers, but different ones. As we stood on the ever-tightly crammed Red Line train, one of my co-workers took the time to pick the minds of these two single college graduates--me & my other co-worker.

What he asked and what he shared changed my perspective on where I am at in life right now. After we told him that we felt like we had disappointed ourselves because we are done with school and not married, he told us how he doesn't even know what that is like. His life has been a constant knowing what is next or being committed to taking care of people. He never had a chance to live on his own or live with a roommate outside of college & marriage. He never had the freedom to travel to wherever for however long--by himself. He doesn't know what my life is like.

I have always appreciated this particular friend of mine because he does bring interesting perspective to virtually every conversation. He has checked me many times and challenged me to re-think whatever I just spout out in the moment. Sadly he will be leaving the job and atmosphere he has known since he started college 11 years ago. I know I will miss him and his brotherly input in my life because I don't know my job without him there.

Anyways, the point of this post is that I really am blessed, not in a way that I am better than all my married friends, no not at all. I am blessed because this is where God wants me now. Wallowing in what the flip-side would be or what I do not have is not right. Sure I have my discouraging days and struggle often with loneliness, but all in all, I know I am loved. I am surrounded by people who are all about encouraging me and making sure they love me. My Father God is watching over me, He cares for me and He knows the deepest desires of my heart. He made me this way. He will continue what He put in place.

Teens

Tonight I watched two movies, back to back about teens seeking to be accepted by either an abusive boyfriend or sex. The second movie was saturated with teens having sex, so much that the entire high school in the movie was basically infested with syphilis.

The interesting thing is that watching these movies reminded me of high school and all my friends and everything that people would talk about Monday after the 'best weekend yet'.

What facinated me in these movies was the parents. They so desperately want to sheild ehtier children from the sex-saturated world we live in, and give them a proper/less skewed view on sex, but their curious children were caving under the pressure around them by friends or even just the culture itself.

It terrified me to watch and wonder what I would say to my own teenager. I have no idea. Whatever my parents told me must have helped, but is it true that some things like that skip generations? Like since my dad was a partier, and I was not, will my children be?

Maybe the answer lies in training them from a young age the values of waiting and saving sex for the confines of marriage and to not cave even though peer pressure is rough.

I guess I don't want my children to be majorly sheltered, but I do want them to know right from wrong and choose to follow Christ and live lives that honor Him in every decision they make.

It must be really hard and faith stretching to be a parent.