Band Camp, Gatorade, and Jesus

     AAAHHHHH. Today was one of those days. Every year, I forget that 5:00 comes around twice a day... until the last week of July. Then it's time for Band Camp. Oh, Band Camp... Sweat, sore muscles, mud-soaked shoes, and teenagers- who also had to wake up at 5:00 AM- make an unforgettable experience. Especially today. At 7:00 AM, the freshman beside me says, 'Aaron, I don't feel so good.' So I told him to go get some water and sit down. He did, and then came back.... and the next thing we know, his breakfast is all over the field. What a way to start the week. Poor kid.
     So after 7 hours of marching, playing, and becoming just plain exhausted, I finally, finally, made it home. Beautiful, gracious home. Home, where I could take the sleep of a thousand years... aka, an afternoon nap. But first, a drink of Gatorade. A glass of that orange, sweet juice never looked so delicious in my life. As I took the scoop of powder and dropped into the glass, a thought struck me. A thought I'd never had before.
     Before, all I had was a glass of water. Ordinary. Plain. But, once that powder was infused, that ordinary glass of water was altered. There was no going back. No matter how much I shook it, how long it sat there, or what else happened to it, it was noticeably, obviously changed.
     In the same way, as a child of God, I am changed. I've been told all my life that as a Christian, I should and would be different. I know that. But I believe there is more than that. I want to be different. My soul cries out to be given the thoughts of God, to be lead in the right direction. I've been thinking about how sick to the core I am of sin. Sin, that rears its ugly head every time I begin to feel God trying to teach me something. I praise God for Jesus, and for the Holy Spirit! For alone, I could never follow my Savior. But with the Great Helper, God has given us something we can't fully understand. No longer must we try to follow all the rules and "Do's and Dont's" of religion, but instead, the rules become a great desire. A love. A love for our Creator, a pull in the right direction. Thank You, Abba! Thank You!
      The Love of God is an awesome thing. As the Gatorade powder made the water sweet, so the Love of God makes us sweet. It changes our souls. Oh, God, change us still. Mold us. Pull us towards Yourself!
     When I took that first sip, I could feel myself relaxing, getting ready to rest the exhaustion away. My thoughts began to wander.... AAAHHHHH. Today was one of those days...
    

The End of the Beginning

     After 17 years of studying, playing, making and losing friends, and learning what living life is all about, I've finally made a decision. Life goes by fast. You might laugh at hearing that out of the mouth of a teenager, but it's something I've learned. I was sitting here at my desk, racking my brain to think of something to make my first post about. That's when it hit me. These next three weeks are the last three weeks of my last summer break. Next week is my last high-school band camp. This year is the last year of my "childhood.'' It's a strange feeling. I'm not particularly sad or nostalgic, but a little ancy just the same. I mean my word, my parents were married at ages 19 and 20. That's a little over a year for me! Me? Married? Heck no. No way. Uh-uh. Not in a little over a year. One day, for sure, but not that soon. I could have nightmares, I think. Combined checking acounts, (I see Mom slaving over the checkbook every now-and-then. I'm not envious), the ever ferocious battles about who's-on-who's side of the bed, and- eventually- a baby's dirty diapers can wait a few more years.... Actually, the dirty diapers can wait quite a few more years. I have college, maybe medical school... and then marriage. At least, that's the plan now. God has a way of shaking things up every now and then, though.
     My high school years are really what made me realize that life goes by fast. Oh, the memories made. Band ranks high among them. Getting shoved down the band-room bleachers... on my birthday... by my girlfriend... is something I'll remember for years. ("I didn't push you, Aaron. You just fell.") The sweat, soreness, and exhaustion of the countless band practices are high on the list of memorable moments, too. But it was all worth it the moment we had the trophy in our hands.
         Struggling through 11th grade AP US History is also something I'll never forget. Late night reading, last-minute cram sessions after a whole week of procrastination, and exasperated study groups had me feeling like the course was utterly impossible. Yet, once again, when I came out with a 5 on the exam, the joy, (and yes, dancing) was well worth the pain.
        Thinking over these and many, many other memories instills me with a yearning for the future. What does it hold for me? What kind of adventures does my Savior have planned? I mean, if I can have so much fun in just 17 years, I can hardly wait for the next 60 or so to get here! ...even if they do involve a few dirty diapers.
      My senior year is just around the corner. Another year of Band, AP, and learning how to live. Next May, when I walk the stage, will be the end of the beginning. The beginning has gone by sooo fast. And yet, even if it is the end of the beginning, does it have to be the beginnig of the end? I don't think so. Life goes by fast, but there is a lot of life to live. In the words of Chris Rice, "It's not the date on the toombstone that matters. It's the dash in between."