Border Busters

In CORE this week we responded to some "sealed orders" that were from our Cedar Bend trip last weekend. Each letter was reflecting on the story "The Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson. Sealed Order #3 was all about the people you will meet at the border of life now and your dream. Border bullies, border buddies, and border busters were the 3 types of people you would confront at this signifant place of your life.

I have been blessed to be placed with some amazing border busters. 3 of them being Charissa, Brandie, and Tim. These are the 3 people who encouraged me no matter WHAT. If my success was leveled off of how much they believed in me, I would achieve anything I ever reached for. I remember in times of frustration, times of pain, times of joy, these were the people I always wanted to contact first. These are the people who have stretched me the most in my faith, my personal life, pretty much anything I have come in contact with. I would have done a lot less, and been a lot worse of a person if it weren't for these 3 people.

While I was on my canoe trip at Cedar Bend, I was sharing with my canoe buddies, Sarah and Brendan, a small glimpse of what my "home" life was like. Sarah said something along the lines of "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that", and it made me just kind of pause. Am I sorry? Do I regret it? If I had the option, really had the option, would I change it? It was pretty much an immediate no, and I firmly stand on that decision. If it weren't for that, I would never have needed my small group leader like I did. I wouldn't have spent so much time at her house and with her, and we wouldn't be as close as we are now. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have spent so many days at the Raad's after school watching nasty TV shows and just hanging out and talking with Brandie. I wouldn't have needed Brandie for serious advice, or needed someone who had gone through what I was and could look up to. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have needed a father figure to really step in my life and change it. I wouldn't have needed Tim to build me up, and drive me to college. If I didn't need them, I wouldn't have them like I do now. And I wouldn't change it for the world. They mean SO much to me. I wouldn't erase the pain if it meant erasing my relationships with them.

I can look back at pretty much every situation I have gone through and apply the same kind of thinking. I wouldn't have gone to this church, I wouldn't have met that person, I wouldn't be going to this university, I wouldn't have done this, wouldn't have done that. I find it extremely cool how God, in my opinion, kind of rewards you when you make it through hard times. Maybe that sounds stupid and simple, but I have been blessed with so many incredible people and situations, and I sure couldn't have earned them just being me. I've read some passages in the bible where David or Paul, I can't remember which one, are begging God just to bring on the storm, bring on the rain. I'm almost to the point where I can say the same thing, because I know after the storm, the rainbow I will receive will be more than worth it.