There is nothing quite like spending the day doing the same job you did when you were 13 to help you gain some perspective.
Had you told my 13 year old self that, at 30, I would be mowing the same lawn and repainting the same garage I would not have believed you. So earlier this week when I found myself doing exactly those things, I had a movie moment.
The movie was one you may not have seen, "The Kid", a Disney movie where Bruce Willis meets his 9 year old self and gains some much needed perspective while imparting some much needed wisdom. That is exactly what yesterday felt like. The result was humbling.
As I reflected on the 17 years that have passed since I last scrapped and painted that garage, I realized a few things: some of the same bad habits and sins that I struggle with started around that time, life has taken a completely different track than I expected, the people whose opinion I lived for are no where to be seen while those whose opinion I blatantly disregarded are still around, and still love me, the self serving measures I had for success are obsolete, replaced by a deep desire to serve others (at least that is what I would like to believe)
Just like in the movie, older me probably wouldn't get along well with younger me, but we'd have some things to teach eachother.
Older me would impart lessons like: put others first, don't worry about what "popular people" think of you, character is what matters, lighten up, learn some self control, and most importantly, LISTEN- because you really don't know it all... Meanwhile younger me would remind me to be more ambitious, to take risks, and to remember the lofty ideals of love, chivalry and courage that defined who I imagined I would become.
Every so often it is good to go back and encounter earlier versions of ourselves so that we can be reminded of childlike faith and of just how much God has done in our lives.
Had you told my 13 year old self that, at 30, I would be mowing the same lawn and repainting the same garage I would not have believed you. So earlier this week when I found myself doing exactly those things, I had a movie moment.
The movie was one you may not have seen, "The Kid", a Disney movie where Bruce Willis meets his 9 year old self and gains some much needed perspective while imparting some much needed wisdom. That is exactly what yesterday felt like. The result was humbling.
As I reflected on the 17 years that have passed since I last scrapped and painted that garage, I realized a few things: some of the same bad habits and sins that I struggle with started around that time, life has taken a completely different track than I expected, the people whose opinion I lived for are no where to be seen while those whose opinion I blatantly disregarded are still around, and still love me, the self serving measures I had for success are obsolete, replaced by a deep desire to serve others (at least that is what I would like to believe)
Just like in the movie, older me probably wouldn't get along well with younger me, but we'd have some things to teach eachother.
Older me would impart lessons like: put others first, don't worry about what "popular people" think of you, character is what matters, lighten up, learn some self control, and most importantly, LISTEN- because you really don't know it all... Meanwhile younger me would remind me to be more ambitious, to take risks, and to remember the lofty ideals of love, chivalry and courage that defined who I imagined I would become.
Every so often it is good to go back and encounter earlier versions of ourselves so that we can be reminded of childlike faith and of just how much God has done in our lives.
Haha! Love it and you!
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