My High School Library

Today I sifted through my books and gave my 16 and 14 year old cousins these titles:
God’s Words on Life for Teens (verse book)
This is the Air I Breathe by Louie Giglio
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
In the Name of Jesus by Henry Nouwen
Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James
I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris
Say Hello to Courtship by Joshua Harris
When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy
When Dreams Come True by Eric and Leslie Ludy
Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy
Jesus Freaks by DC Talk
Captivating by Stasi Eldredge

I find solace in the fact that I at least read Oswald Chambers as a teenager, but all the rest of the titles are from a normal evangelical teenager’s library.
It’s funny how much you grow up in a few years. My high school friends and I have since had the conversation about how much we were concerned with God’s will in high school relationships and, rightly so, purity. I look at highschoolers now and the first words that come to mind are “You’re just babies.”—Especially in the area of relationships.
I was more concerned with the practice of things instead of the principle behind them….emotion instead of tradition: the definition of a highschooler. For instance, I swore off dating in high school simply because of the Josh Harris books and the attitude of my friends around me. I worshipped to feel God, not to praise Him as a part of the Body of Christ, as a part of the community.

Even though I was just a baby seeking out God, He used those youth group years just like He did those Sunday School years-to eventually form my heart and mind toward Him through scripture, people, crazy books about dating, and rock star like worship events.

If you would have told me in high school that I would come to love tradition in college, I would not have believed you. I would have never guessed that the baptismal promises the community made for me when I was a baby would come to mean so much to me. The years that I spent loving, hating, and growing up in the Catholic church taught me the rhythm of the liturgy, the importance of the Eucharist, and the faith of my family. The sacraments I have been a part of, like the anointing of the Holy Spirit in confirmation, are really special.

We all have crazy back stories. Now I feel all grown up reading things like Lauren F. Winner.