Milestones

Hey y'all, Stephanie Newton here.  I've been thinking about milestones lately.  My oldest child just turned 16.  HUGE milestone in life.  He thinks he's grown.  We have to reassure him that as long as we're paying the bills, he's not...you know how it goes.  In reality, his driving has been both a blessing and a worry.  I love that he drives himself to soccer practice and does little errands for me when I need him to.  I don't love the fact that I want to text him every five minutes.  Where are you now?  Okay, how about now?  Are you at school yet?  How about now?  (Fortunately I refrain since answering all those texts would definitely be detrimental to his driving!)

There are so many of these milestones in life.  My next door neighbor was sad this week because her youngest moved up to a "big boy" carseat.  Some of us have kids graduating from kindergarten or high school or (gulp) graduate school.  Some of us are looking at life with a brand new degree in hand and thinking, what now?  Some are becoming grandparents.  Some, like my parents, are retired and finding themselves way busier than when they worked full-time.

We have milestones in our spiritual lives too.  Maybe it's a new commitment to short-term mission work, a new in-depth Bible study, sacrificial giving, or prayer and fasting.  Sometimes we accept a challenge and are amazed at what happens when we partner with God.  Sometimes we're not ready yet and before we know it, we've mangled the garage door because it wasn't open when we put the car in gear.  Then we have to call the insurance company, make repairs and try again.

One thing's for sure.  Life moves fast.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  I love new challenges and learning new things.  I love knowing that God has plans for me.  Sometimes I wish He'd clue me in--a text message at the appropriate moment of decision would be fine.  But there's that Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11 that always gives me a feeling of peace, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"

(For those of you with new drivers:  Zephaniah 3:17:  "The Lord your God is with you.  He is mighty to save.")

Stephanie Newton's latest book in the Emerald Coast 911 series is available now.