After reading about a young man, 18 years old, almost out of high school, who was killed unexpectedly while meeting up with his dad at a little rest stop by a train, I began to think about something that has been on my mind recently. He was just crossing the tracks, probably as he had done for many years, and his life ended with just a simple accident.  How many plans do you think he had for his life? College, a family, life to its fullest? And in the blink of an eye, he is gone.

At our age, I am assuming around later teen years, where we are growing and maturing, we have plans running rampant. Either we want to travel, get married, or even just see what happens after high school. Too many times we think of the future as being far reaching and holding plenty of time to do the things we want. Too little do we realize that we do not hold time in our hands, nor do we control the amount we are given.

Sometimes, we are positive that we will marry, have children, become adults, and do things that we want to while we are living. Especially young women, like myself, who are eager to be wives and mothers, yet forget that that may not be the case.  We plan our futures, sometimes forgetting that the one who really does plan our lives is Sovereign and Eternal. He knows what path our lives will take, and how long we have to journey them.

Recently, I have been thinking more about my future in a view of generational. What I do now affects not only how I live, but others down the road live. I want to get married and raise a family, yet I cannot plan for that alone. I must plan to live my life for God’s glory, and with that, all will fall into place. I must live for Him while I still am. I could die tomorrow, a year from now, or when I am gray and have seen many years, yet I want them, no matter how many I get, to glorify God.

Marriage can be an idol, when that is what we strive for, and plan our years around. Yet it can glorify God when we plan for it in His timing, while we go about our Father’s business.

That young man, after living 18 years, died without warning. He was just driving, meeting his father, when he was taken away. I want to be able to meet my Heavenly father with many years, even though I knew nothing of when they would end, to be full of honor to God, showing that, no matter when my time was up, every day was spent in one consuming purpose: to bring glory to Him who made me.

I was reading this post on this dear lady’s blog, and I thought I could share it with those who hadn’t read it. Number 4 struck the most in my character and desire for marriage.

4) Cultivate a schedule (along with a daily quiet time) before you have to schedule life around children. If you can function on a schedule as a single young lady, then you will flourish as a wife and mother.

Schedule. That words brings either relief or fear. To me, having a schedule is refreshing, yet I sometimes fall into a schedule of no schedule at all, if that is possible. Like the aspect of my personality, where I enjoy waking up early in the morning feeling refreshed, yet it is hard, since I enjoy my sleep. The question is, which will I choose? The long term beneficial, or the “right now” desire for a few more minutes of rest?

Anyway, back to the topic. At any age, we should learn to handle schedules with maturity and sense. Either married, single, or young, we should be able to exercise self control and follow a daily pattern. Learning to rise when we need to, restraining when we should go to bed at a reasonable hour, eating healthy to maintain the temple of the Lord, taking in fresh air and sunshine, keeping a routine of either schooling, work, or house work. If we are preparing to run our own homes, and nourish a growing family, we need to be able to handle the daily hours with preparedness. Sometimes schedules are different due to ways of life, but nevertheless, there are schedules intact.

Keeping a schedule, when we are engrossed in it, is easy. But following a routine when we perhaps are not all enthused about it, is hard. My  growing in this area of life will mostly be in following a schedule where I am not the immediate beneficiary, or my hobbies are put on hold.

With the somewhat heavy dusting of snow received by our section of the country, people are canceling basketball games (which tells of desperate measures around here), closing schools, and staying indoors.  I have worn the same outfit now for about five or six days, because I don’t have to worry about going anywhere. Our schools days start late, due to no events later on in the day, and we drag the subjects throughout spurted breaks until late afternoon. Unlike some, we are enjoying our snow days. Wrapped up at home, not worrying about going into town, and completely relaxed throughout the entire day, what could be better?

Some people are out shoveling, while others let it lie. Some are still speeding through on the snowy roads, while others poke along. I’ve realized, snow affects people different ways. I know people who hate the idea of cold, harsh winters, and moan all winter about being cold, while others go with the flow, and know how to wear boots, gloves, and scarves with a smile. People either freak out and rush to the stores when the idea of snow comes along, or look out the window and dismiss the idea. (Some even make snow pies due to the weather)  Yet, life carries on. The difference is how we handle what comes our way.

Tragedies, happiness, trials, and blessings are all to be met with sooner or later. And God does not leave us through any of them, though sometimes we remove our hearts from God. Through the thick times we sometimes arrange our priorities on our emotions, which cannot be trusted. We should put our priorities in the order of what God says. He is the only one who can see past the pain of the present, and be glorified when the light shines through the seemingly endless darkness in the future.

I have read and heard about many young ladies who are not in a society of like minded young ladies. I myself have few “in person” friendships with such friends, and sometimes I become discouraged. It is not often that I am blue over the fact of not having colleagues who fit every criteria that I desire in a friend. Yet I understand many young girls or perhaps even young men who are in a circle of people who are not home schooled or even Christian, and who wish to be able to be in company with people who believe like they do.

Yet, while we wonder why the Lord has placed us in such a position, maybe we should look at it another way. Perhaps our roles don’t seem desirable, but we may be the special few who are the ones to grow and nurture such a society. If we share our convictions with others, and they begin to see why we believe the way we do, a relationship unlike that of a like minded friend becomes present. Many times God molds our characters in such circumstances where we are not in a comforting position amidst friends who agree with what we have to say, or even appreciate what we announce. Sometimes He gives us relationships where we are taught to defend our convictions, or learn to be compassionate but not compromising in our bonds with those who may or may not be Christians. For some, to have a friend that keeps them constant instead of cushioned, it is better.

I am around people, whom I love dearly, some who agree with my convictions, while others do not. I used to wish for ONE friend who was home schooled, old fashioned, and completely complacent with the soundtrack to Braveheart and long walks in the woods, yet apart from my cousins, I do not have a group of friends who are just like me. And that may be a good thing!

There will be times when we are thrown into a community where no one shares our worldviews, and what shall we do then? We are to be Christian witnesses, not just in our words, but in our actions. If we shy away from people just because they are different or believe differently from us, how are we to appear?

I like to be alone, or in the company of those I love. I do not like to be around those who are different from me, I admit it. I would rather be off doing something I enjoy, but I have been working on (with the constant reminder of my mom) what I refer to as “Loving God’s people, not just my people”. I mean, the Lord died upon the cross for them too!

So when I become saddened by my lack of like minded friends, I just have to remind myself, that I need to be just as kind to those I come in contact with, than with those I would rather be in company with. Our Sovereign Lord knows our limits, our desires, and most importantly…our heart. He knows when we have our heart set on something and the manner in which we set it.  We may need to realize that we are placed in such places because the Lord has put us here…not in mistake or forgetfulness, but in the righteous and loving way that we come to know when He is our father. And we need to apply this mindset to every area of our life, and especially in the areas where we are weak of heart and spirit; places, in which,  we personally do not want to be.