The Summer I Became A Young Woman

My lunch is packed. My backpack sits in the mudroom waiting for the morning. My uniform is pressed, and new school shoes wait in my closet. August 27 is tomorrow... yes, the day I start Junior Year.

This summer has been one of the most interesting experiences I've ever underwent.

I went to New York and studied under some of the biggest names to grace the biggest of stages. I saw four Broadway shows. I played Messy Twister, and got paint in my hair. I swam and read the Hunger Games. I got sunburnt, and also had hilarious experiences with spray tanning. I learned to drive, and got my Restricted License. I babysat. I taught a dance camp to sweet young girls in my basement. I worshipped the Lord with my Collide family every Sunday. I had a picnic with my siblings. I rolled my sunroof down and sang as loud as I could on country backroads. I competed in the Coca Cola Talent Classic. I competed and danced with some of my very best friends ever... my OCPT family. I performed in "The Music Man". I earned my Pointe Shoes and took classes weekly. I'm in an incredible Bible Study with an incredible group of sisters in Christ. I watched golf matches, baseball games, and have had my fair share of "bleacher butt". I ate countless ounces of froyo, and drank liters upon liters of tea. I shopped alot, laughed alot, loved alot. I fell off a stage in a performance. I cuddled on rainy days to watch movies and read the very best of stories. I've cried and celebrated. 

I've done it all this summer.

And God has taught me more about Himself and myself than ever before.

I became a young woman. I do my own laundry, go to the gas station, and am looking for a job. I drive myself to auditions, practices, and meetings. I'm scheduling college trips. I became a young woman.

Looking at Sophomore Year, I was being prepared for who I am today, and who I am consistently becoming. I will never be finished...no, I believe we are always growing, always being molded in the gentle, steady hands of the Father. But I have been pounded lately. I feel a lump in my throat as the bittersweet feeling of adulthood draws nearer and nearer. My dear Mom and Dad no longer hold me as tightly as they did six months ago. My wings are crumpled, but will soon be ready to expand to full capacity.... ready to fly.

So what has He taught me? That He is always present. That He is enough. That even when I lose, I win. That He has the perfect plan for my life. That He knows the desires of my heart. That He wants to use my passions and abilities. That He loves when I laugh, and mourns when I mourn. That He never leaves me. Ever.

And here I am. Sitting at my desk with the feeling of a fresh school year looming all around me. How do I feel? Honestly, I don't know. Burdened by the thoughts of countless hours in chairs huddled over books and papers. Thrilled by the smell of future bonfires, and the roar of coming football games...theology yet to be learned, and books waiting to be read. Every day holds a new gift. How could I possibly wish those gifts away? For I am becoming a young woman. A young woman with a purpose within each day. I will not mourn the summer's end, no, I will rejoice in this new season's start. It is here, and I will rise to meet it with grace and dignity. And just because it's good for me doesn't mean it won't hurt. 

Glory to Him for allowing me to experience the joys, challenges, and beauty of Summer 2013.

For I became a young woman.

My Babies

One look at my Lilly Pulitzer planner can tell you nearly everything about my life. Church, dance, Bible Study, performances, dates with friends, auditions, and soon, yes, *gulp*.... school. My days are frequently packed with the good and the bad, the expected and the unexpected. 

But every once in a while, God grants me the gift of an outside view. A way to simply take a step back from the "mayhemish" throng of my "high schoolness" to receive a glimpse of the delicate beauty this life holds.

And one of those glimpses was granted to me yesterday.

A dear friend of mine joined me for a cup of tea at a local Java, and I sat listening to her words of wisdom. The laughter and joy we share over the smell of mocha and cinnamon is a most delightful combination of feelings. ;) We went to pick up her daughter from her school down the road, and before the three of us parted ways, we sat in my black 2006 Honda Pilot as rain pattered softly on the windows. The stresses of a new school year, the day's assignments given, and the past weekend's occurrences were the topics of our conversation. But after the light of those conversations began to die out, my dear friend looked at me with eyes filled with sparkles of passion. She began to speak some of the dearest and most insightful words I may have ever heard.

"Lydia," she started. "The Holy Spirit gave me a word for you this morning."

*PAUSE*

 Anytime someone gives you a word from the Lord, listen closely.

*RESUME*

"I know that this time of your life seems difficult and filled with challenges. You long for something more and for that something called 'someday'. Yet, you have so many beautiful opportunities and incredible times with family/friends in the palms of your hands," she continued. "I remember when I was a young mom. Diapers and strollers were the norm. People would tell me not to wish away those times because, well, they would disappear before I knew it! Lydia, these times are your babies. One day, you won't be able to be as free with your time and energy as you are now. Treasure the moments with family and friends. Random coffee dates and runs on the Anchorage Trail. These are your 'babies'."

Those words reached something deep within me that my dearest friend couldn't know she had reached. Which truly displays that those WERE words from the Holy Spirit alone. 

And she was completely right. Some days, I cannot wait for something more. I long for a day where I am out of school, free to perform and work full time where my heart has always longed to be...the stage. And let's face it...everyone longs for that "something more" at one or more stages in their lives. 

But we must treasure our babies. Learn to enjoy the stinky points...the changing of the diapers. Learn to work through new stages with delicate force...baby food to solids. Learn to embrace importance of the thrilling and heart-swelling times...the first steps and the quiet, sudden giggle.

Because one day, that giggle will turn into a full-blown laugh. And then we will realize how important the diapers, the baby food, and the giggles were. The prepared us for who we are today.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

NIV