Growing Up

(I had too much fun writing ME, the last post, that I had to write a sequel to it.)

Once upon a time, not quite so long ago, I had another conversation with my true self—the girl who at times don’t know her mind, but can be sure of certain things. She is certain that she wants to grow up, but is still not sure what growing up is. So we played Grown Up.

Plucked eyebrows. Ouch! Shaved legs, shaved armpits. Tiptoed on stilettos. Click, click goes the stilts on pavement. Wobble, wobble, turned an ankle. Ouch! Gaudy make-up on. Nails polished, pink and blue. Perfume too strong. Achoo! Pouted here, pouted there. Mirror pouted back. Flicked hair. Ridiculous LV hanged on an arm. Filled with candy wraps, loose coins and a fish. Wore a shiny black suit. Looking regal, looking cute. Like a little penguin. Made me sweat, made me itch. “Being grown up is no play,” my true self said.

She flung off the suit, the heels, the LV. She wiped the make-up off with an arm. I sneezed. The perfume stayed on.

She looked at myself. A new me--- the true me. No baubles, no masks, no elaborate coverings. Beautiful! Just the way God made me. Made mistakes, fell on face, dirty hands, soiled. Struggled. Cried for help. Raised up by a strong hand. Never let it go. Surrendered. God is in control. He is peace. He is love. He is strength. He is life. He is ALL. Stand up and learn. “Growing up takes courage,” my true self said.

Learn from Jesus. Learn of Him. Grow up in His knowledge and grace (2 Peter 3:18). Life so abundant. Life so free. I can move. I can sing. I can laugh. I can be. I dare to be. Anything that He made me. My true self said, “Growing up is fun!”

We look at each other and smiled, and made another promise--- to follow my heart as it stays focused on Jesus, whatever others say, come what may.

"By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go" (Ministry of Healing , p. 182).