#spiritualadulting

Have you seen the hashtag #adulting?

Here is how "adulting" is defined in the Urban Dictionary:

Adulting (v): to do grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown ups.

But one has to ask the question, "Why has this newly created verb become necessary?" My generation and my parents' generation moved into adulthood without needing a verb to describe the process. We did all that stuff (we still do!), but didn't consider it to be anything special or unique. It was just what one did as one matured. These things wouldn't have been worth mentioning and hashtagging on Facebook--if we had had Facebook, that is. 

So I found myself mocking the #adulting crowd, until I realized that I am in a similar experience spiritually. Lately I've been having the sense that God is asking me to grow up in my relationship with him. He's asking me to become His friend, much in the way my young adult children (who will always be my children) are becoming my friends as well. They can't stop being my kids, but the relationship is certainly changing, maturing. And I rather like it. Can I have the same the experience with with my Father, God?

#spiritualadulting

Yep. That's what I'm calling it. It's time for me to do grown up things and hold responsibilities in the Kingdom of God, God's kicking me out of the nest. 

So what does #spiritual adulting look like?

I'm still sort of figuring that out. But it certainly means that my spiritual hissy fits and temper tantrums just aren't acceptable anymore. It means that I can't shrink back and whine when there's work to be done. If I'm hungry, I might just have to learn to cook. 

But if I've learned to listen and obey, if I've tuned my ears to the Shepherd's voice, if I've adapted to His Kingdom ways, then shouldn't I become agile and adept at the work He intives me to do? Unlike Gideon, who had to keep checking to make sure that he understood what God was asking, God should now be able to direct me with the batting of His eye. A sublte nudge, and I'm off to do what's being asked. Unlike the Corinthians and Hebrews, who weren't ready for solid food, it's time that I cut my teeth on some spiritual meat. 

In fact, I'm finding that the Bible has a lot to say about #spiritualadulting. But just like I assumed that #adulting was a natural transition that required no special attention, I think that I imagined that #spiritualadulting would happen naturally too. The Bible indicates otherwise. In fact, Paul chides the Corinthians for refusing to move into spiritual adulthood. It turns out that Neverland is actually more real than we thought. Many life-long Christians are happy to be playing around, fighting Captain Hook and swimming with mermaids, when God has clearly said that it's time to leave the nursery. 

It's great to be a child of God. And I'll never stop being his child, but it's time to stop my childish ways. God's calling me to grow up. And I want to step up. How about you? 

#spiritualadulting. It's on. 

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Ten Totally Trivial Tidbits

1. Our renovations are almost complete, and the church building will be open and funcitoning soon! In fact, we are already having our daily prayer meetings in the building and Sunday we'll hold services there for the first time. WOOT WOOT!!
2. Tim Keller wrote a really great little tidbit about "Political Idolatry." If you find yourself using words like "fear" and "evil" when talking about politics or politicians, you might find it helpful. Or convicting. Here's a link: http://dailykeller.com/the-signs-of-political-idolatry/
3. Things I don't like about having an empty nest: I miss my boys, I miss my boys, I miss my boys. And  I have no "excuse" to make cookies. 
4. Things I like about having an empty nest: No junkfood in the house because I can't use the excuse that I'm buying it for the boys (we're actually losing weight!) and total control of the TV (I'm making up for 20 years of no chick flicks).
5. True confession: I'm actually watching Star Trek, Next Generation on Netflix. Which probably 1) doesn't qualify as "chick" TV and 2) goes to show that I'm a lot nerdier without my boys around to keep me cool. 
6. I have a new favorite game. It's called Caveman: The Quest for Fire. Only I don't own it and I can't get it in France. I'm hoping to get it next time I'm in the States. You get to hunt dinosaurs and invent baskets and scout out caves...yeah, well, it's better than it sounds. I promise.
7. Someday I might tell you what David and I got each other for our 24th wedding anniversary. But then again, I might not. Because everybody loves a little mystery.
8. It seems like everything I'm reading these days, both articles and books, is making reference to the Brothers Karamazov. Which I've never read. So, now I'm reading The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. It might take me the rest of the year.
9. Chandler is missing speaking French, so sometimes when we text each other we do it in French. 
10. I'm totally struggling to come up with number TEN here. Oh! I know! I tried homemade toothpaste this week. It was made from turmeric and coconut oil and peppermint oil--which was a surprisigly pleasant taste! But the turmeric stains a white sink something awful when you spit it out, so I'm not sure I'll keep using the concoction. 

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