I am proud of my friends.
I have had one of those months where I've gotten to spend a lot of time with young 20-something friends of mine. You know, the kind who have graduated from college but are pre-27 and thus haven't quite hit their 20-something stride.
And what has crossed my mind after spending time with each one of these women and men is this: "I am so proud of you."
Why? Because these young 20-somethings are navigating a difficult and challenging season of transition with incredible grace, purpose, and diligent struggle.
They are working late at unexpected jobs; they are figuring out how to deal with bosses and how to get to work at 8am and how to have fun with co-workers. They are dreaming big dreams while doing small tasks, and they are doing both with integrity and grace.
These young 20-somethings are having babies and learning how to be married to someone for the rest of their lives and making time to grow friendships and not just maintain friendships. They are falling in love and breaking up and falling in love all over again. They are taking a deep breath and going to church alone, trying to find a place to fit. They are taking a deep breath and going to counseling and leaning into to scary places in their lives. They are taking a deep breath and moving to new cities and new communities and new ways of life. (They are taking a lot of deep breaths.)
They are attempting to figure out how to budget their finances; they are surviving on too-small paychecks and in too-small apartments. They are supporting missionaries and charities. They are saving money for later and spending money now on things that bring them joy. My friends are doing boring things with incredible faithfulness and incredible things with boring diligence.
They are trying family recipes and learning to do the things that Mom or Dad always did before. And, they are doing things that Mom and Dad never did before. They are learning new hobbies and finding out what exercise doesn’t make them cry and reading interesting books and going to concerts of musicians that they adore. They are decorating their homes with creativity and economy, and they are working through car payments and car insurance and car mechanics and car problems all the day long.
These friends of mine are learning about kale and sustainable healthy eating; they are teaching me about politics and the environment and community supported agriculture. They are living in small towns, in big cities, in underprivileged neighbors, in their parents’ basements. And these impressive friends are living with purpose in each place.
In a season where these friends of mine could choose to be discontent with life not turning out how they thought it would post-college, in a season where they could just say "whatever" and live indulgent lives with an attempt at fulfilling their own fleeting happiness, my friends are doing the hard work of living this season with purpose. They are investing in their lives and in the lives of those around them, investing in their relationships with God and their place in their communities. These friends of mine make me proud.
They are not young 20-somethings to be ignored until they grow up. They are navigating their lives in ways that model courage, faith, trust, and hope in an exemplary way that cannot and should not be ignored.
And so, my encouragement to you, my dear reader friend, is this: Think of a young 20-something whom you respect. Maybe it’s your friend or your brother, your cousin or your niece. Or maybe it’s the new young teacher at school or the young man who always tears down tables at church or your neighbor who likes to pet your dog. Find that young 20-something and tell them that you are proud of them. That you admire the way they are navigating a difficult season of transition in life, and that you are rooting for them.
As for my 20-something friends, know that I am proud of you. Know that I admire you and that I am thankful to have the privilege to learn from you. Know that you are courageous and faithful and inspiring and that you are living in a way that is making a difference. Know that you are teaching me, and so many others, what it means to truly live.
I have had one of those months where I've gotten to spend a lot of time with young 20-something friends of mine. You know, the kind who have graduated from college but are pre-27 and thus haven't quite hit their 20-something stride.
And what has crossed my mind after spending time with each one of these women and men is this: "I am so proud of you."
Why? Because these young 20-somethings are navigating a difficult and challenging season of transition with incredible grace, purpose, and diligent struggle.
They are working late at unexpected jobs; they are figuring out how to deal with bosses and how to get to work at 8am and how to have fun with co-workers. They are dreaming big dreams while doing small tasks, and they are doing both with integrity and grace.
These young 20-somethings are having babies and learning how to be married to someone for the rest of their lives and making time to grow friendships and not just maintain friendships. They are falling in love and breaking up and falling in love all over again. They are taking a deep breath and going to church alone, trying to find a place to fit. They are taking a deep breath and going to counseling and leaning into to scary places in their lives. They are taking a deep breath and moving to new cities and new communities and new ways of life. (They are taking a lot of deep breaths.)
They are attempting to figure out how to budget their finances; they are surviving on too-small paychecks and in too-small apartments. They are supporting missionaries and charities. They are saving money for later and spending money now on things that bring them joy. My friends are doing boring things with incredible faithfulness and incredible things with boring diligence.
They are trying family recipes and learning to do the things that Mom or Dad always did before. And, they are doing things that Mom and Dad never did before. They are learning new hobbies and finding out what exercise doesn’t make them cry and reading interesting books and going to concerts of musicians that they adore. They are decorating their homes with creativity and economy, and they are working through car payments and car insurance and car mechanics and car problems all the day long.
These friends of mine are learning about kale and sustainable healthy eating; they are teaching me about politics and the environment and community supported agriculture. They are living in small towns, in big cities, in underprivileged neighbors, in their parents’ basements. And these impressive friends are living with purpose in each place.
In a season where these friends of mine could choose to be discontent with life not turning out how they thought it would post-college, in a season where they could just say "whatever" and live indulgent lives with an attempt at fulfilling their own fleeting happiness, my friends are doing the hard work of living this season with purpose. They are investing in their lives and in the lives of those around them, investing in their relationships with God and their place in their communities. These friends of mine make me proud.
They are not young 20-somethings to be ignored until they grow up. They are navigating their lives in ways that model courage, faith, trust, and hope in an exemplary way that cannot and should not be ignored.
And so, my encouragement to you, my dear reader friend, is this: Think of a young 20-something whom you respect. Maybe it’s your friend or your brother, your cousin or your niece. Or maybe it’s the new young teacher at school or the young man who always tears down tables at church or your neighbor who likes to pet your dog. Find that young 20-something and tell them that you are proud of them. That you admire the way they are navigating a difficult season of transition in life, and that you are rooting for them.
As for my 20-something friends, know that I am proud of you. Know that I admire you and that I am thankful to have the privilege to learn from you. Know that you are courageous and faithful and inspiring and that you are living in a way that is making a difference. Know that you are teaching me, and so many others, what it means to truly live.