here's to 25

friendship with God involves trusting Him wherever He leads. oftentimes, He leads to places that don't really make sense to my limited understanding. there are many prayers yet to be answered, and speedy justice yet to be granted. experiences like that can really offend my trust in how I thought a good God should lead. to the rest of the world, continued faith in such a God could be counted as foolishness.

as i turn 25, i'm convinced more than ever before that He leads so well. through the highest of highs, through the valley of the shadow of death, I will follow Him, and know that He never leaves. for a life filled with pain and suffering with Him by my side is infinitely better than an easy, comfortable life without Him.

for 25 years He's been the same. After 25 years there has been no better thing than to trust Jesus Christ. His leadership has never put me to shame. His faithfulness endures. He remains the only solution, the only answer to it all, and i wouldn't for a moment wish for any other way than His way. He intricately planned it all this way because He wanted me. He wanted to do this life together with me. "Together", He says, "let's survive this together."

Here's to 25 more years, 25 more, or 25 more, until the day i see His face.

~~~

And Jesus said, "whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him"
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying, who can listen to it?"
But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them "Do you take offense at this?"
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him
So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
John 6:56-68 (paraphrased)