In High School I was a goody-two-shoes, & I certainly made no bones about it. In High School I was a member of the Chrisitan Clique & made certain that I toed the religious line. In High School I knew the truth, the truth that would set you free, but I did not share it. In High School I was infinitely more concerned with proving who I was, & terribly derelict in sharing the One who'd made me that way. In High School I was juvenile, insecure, & simply selfish. The truth is that I was afraid...afraid to die to self, & I was afraid to die to your opinion of me. In High School I was afraid & so I was silent...but today, although I am still afraid, I will be silent no more.
'My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.' (John 15:12-13)
Today I will say goodbye to a dear member of my Alma Mater family, & I will mourn with all of my heart all that I failed to say. I will grieve for the friend that I failed to be to her...the friend that she deserved. Today I will hug your neck, & we will catch up on the last 10 years. Today I will do that...I must do that...knowing that I cannot make the same mistake again. I must love you enough to die to self & perhaps even to your opinion of me. Today I will end my silence by speaking to you. Today I will say what I should have said 10 years ago.
We are the same, you & I. Despite our social clique then & in spite of our circumstances now, we are the same. We are sinners. (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:10, Romans 5:12) We are lost, we are blind, & we are wretched. It's not pleasant to think of ourselves in this way, but we only have to look within to see how true it is. If you could read my mind, see my thoughts & feelings, you'd know in an instant how horribly dismal I am. The same is true of you. That wretchedness has doomed us. (Isaiah 59:2-3) It has left us hopeless & empty. It has left us searching for some thing more. Friend, that something more is found in Jesus. He lived for you. He died for you. (1 Peter 3:18) Through His death upon the cross, salvation is yours if you accept it. (Romans 10:9-10) In Him there is life anew (2 Corinthians 5:17), & life eternal (John 3:16-17).
If you desire this in your life, please speak to me. There is so much more to this than is possible to be written within this post. I love you, friend. I ask your forgiveness for not sharing this years ago. I ask your forgiveness for my silence. I know that many of you will think I'm off my rocker...and that's okay. I know that some of you will flat out disagree with me...and that's okay too. I pray that even one of you might be touched by this, might desire it for your life...and that's my greatest desire. I love you, friends...
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