Eighteen

There's something about today. Every 18th of every month. There's always something about it. Three years ago today, I walked across a stage, shook a bunch of hands, and officially graduated from high school. Three months to the day later, on August 18, I moved out of my house for the first time and into my college dorm room -- Byrnes 2D1. On October 18, 1984, I was born. Every one of my twenty birthdays to date have been on October 18th; it'd be kinda strange if they weren't. Now it is May 18th, 2005. What is special about today? A lot of things.

First, today is today. It is another day; another gift from God that I thank him so joyously for, as it is so undeserved. Second, it is the 18th, and that makes me happy. I always stop to reflect on the 18th of any month. It just seems like a good day to do that. A lot of significant things have happened in my life on the 18th.

This morning I woke up and sat on a bed that I've only spent five nights with and began to think. It was early considering I wasn't asleep until three am the night before. The sun had just come up. I could see the beautiful light etching in my window between the blinds. A bird was not too distant from my window chirping announcing the morning to everything near. I had a revelation... an epiphany.

I am happy. My soul is joyful. Everything is beautiful. No, I'm not on crack (maybe Christian crack -- you know, the stuff that comes from Starbucks). There may be bad things that happen, but I am able to look beyond them to see something wonderful. To see the beauty in life and the perfection of God's creation... and the beauty in God's creations being imperfect.

Now that's not the epiphany. I've been getting close to thinking that way for a while now. The epihpany is that I was on a bed I had never seen six nights earlier. I am with relative strangers, people I have only known for two and a half weeks. I am in a town I've never stayed the night in before. I haven't been home in three weeks. And I am still happy.

Some of you may not consider this such an epiphany, but for someone who has never spent much time away from home and family. I go to college at a university that is 23 minutes away from my driveway at the place I've lived for eight years. But now I'm in a foreign place, and I'm happier than I think I've ever been. It is great. It is awesome. Eighteen.

That's my story. And I'm incredibly thankful for it. I may not know what lies in my future, in fact I'm not even sure what I'm doing next week or next semester or anything, but in spite of all that, I am content and joyful and smiling. :)

Ever thankful, joyful, mystified, wondering, curious, and happy,
chris

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