Seventeen



This Thursday I turn eighteen. 

 Honestly, I haven't given it too much thought, but I know it's going to be new and hard.

But, I've come across new and hard before, and I don't have to fall into all the same pits I've fallen into before.

So, here's seventeen things I've learned/done during seventeen.

 1. I don't need to get caught up in what I should feel, and I don't need to give those shoulds my time and energy

 2. Understanding what's going on doesn't mean it's going to automatically get better.

 3. My feelings don't have to control me, but the more I listen to them as truth, the more control I give them

 4. I can laugh and have fun even when my feelings and confusing and weird

 5. Life isn't about me. If I'm not happy/feeling great, it's okay

 6. I really, really need Jesus

 7. I have Jesus, and I don't need to be afraid that I don't

 8. I'm not always right about what will make me happy

 9. A lot of the same fears and failures come back to haunt me

 10. I like finding new music to refresh my soul

 11. Being humble looks different than I think it is, sometimes humility looks like putting my problems and worries to the side and trusting

 12. Being really known and really loved is kind of terrifying

 13. I think I have the spiritual gift of encouragement, or, anyhow, I really like encouraging people, and it helps me to believe truths more when I'm telling others about them

 14. God has a plan, and it's for His glory and my good

 15. I feel a lot of things, and that's okay

 16. I'm imperfect, and I'm never going to be perfect, but that's okay, Jesus is enough

 17. I can look forward to things and be excited even when feelings tell me I shouldn't

 So, there it is. A lot of feelings. But, here's to eighteen, to seeing what God's going to do in my life. To trusting that He will get me through everything, and I can live in freedom even when I don't feel the freedom.

 ~ Rebecca P.

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