Surprises are Unique some Days

My friends (well two of them) have started calling me a ‘party-pooper’ because I like to keep everyone happy. My dad likes it when I’m home, my friends and I like it when we’re out together; but I have to accommodate for everyone. I will leave our ‘hang-out’ sessions to get home by my curfew (1230) but generally like to be home 1130. Is this a big deal? No.

But every once in a while, when I sense my dad is a little less than pleased that I am out with my friends more than at home, I’ll skip hanging out with my friends: again, keeping everyone (though not really my people ..) moderately happy. I know its frustrating on both parts… well all three parts really, mine, my friends and my dad’s… but there is only one of me and two different groups. Rough? Yep. Normal? Probably not. My dad really likes me home and that kinda sucks, but what can you do? I wish he wouldn’t worry as much and let me go hang out till later… but again, I am not in charge.

Anyways, I have come to the conclusion that I am dreadful with grudges. Lately, because of the amazing work God has done in my life, I have seen that holding these grudges aren’t really helping anyone and I need to make amends with some of the people who have either done me wrong, or I have done wrong to. I’ve started first with this girl I used to be really good friends with in Jr. High. She started dating a guy in a year above me and hanging out with him and his friends more than me: I felt quite discluded and she saw this; she tried to bring me into her new group while I just wanted to be friends with only her. I kinda drew the line and didn’t really talk to her from then on. I facebooked her a few weeks back and apologized: do you know how much better that made me feel? I felt like I was doing something to right the wrong that I had been portraying with her and this was helping me grow more as a person and connect deeper with God.

I believe that no matter how close you want to be to Him, if you are at fault with those around you, you are being held back from Him. JOY- Jesus, Others, Yourself… hard to always think that way some times.

Another person who I made amends with was a guy (again) from Jr. High. This story is a little more… well dramatic really. We had both liked each other quite a deal (which was a big thing for me. Don’t ask why, its too unfortunate haha) and back in grade 8, that was as good as ‘dating’ without actually dating. Make sense? I thought not.

We would spend all our time at school together, phone conversations were a regular.. that sort of thing. My parents met him at a function once (a party at my house on Boxing Day) but we never actually went together anywhere… no movies, no food, no walks… nada.

Anyways, after six months of this ‘companionship’, i grew tired of his play-by-play phone ‘conversations’ which largely consisted of me listening to him play xbox live. It was dreadful and horribly boring, so I ‘ended’ it. You would notice that there are a lot of quotation marks… this is merely because in grade 8, you make everything to be more than it is… I considered it then at the time as a relationship, but looking back, it was trivial and hilarious!

Because of that, we were both pretty sore from the ‘break-up’ (It wasn’t a relationship at all, therefore no breakup, but you get my drift) and I just turned to stone whenever he walked in the room. I wouldn’t talk to him or anything and started to harbour a deep resentment towards the guy.

Now let me draw these two very different parts together.

Originally, my dad wanted me home tonight, but since the rest of my family were going out for dinner, I was able to go out to a birthday party for a friend from high school. The original plan was to go, drop off her birthday present and go to a friends house who lives quite a deal outside of the city. I had told a few more of my friends that I would be going out of the city and would see them at the get together that night, but a different friend persuaded me to not only stay in the city, but to go back to the birthday girl’s house for some food and drinks. I didn’t drink because I was driving, but the fruit was excellent.

Anyways! I regrettably skipped out on the ‘outa town’ place to go back to her house and who walks in but this guy from grade 8. I end up talking to him for about an hour and a half and really got to know him as a person again and some of his opinions on some really big issues.

I honestly feel that God was working through my friend persuading me to stay and not go so that I may fix up broken relationships that were still (however loosely) hanging by threads. It was an awesome experience and i cant say I’d change how the evening went… though I do feel bad for subjecting my boarder-friend to the unknown.

But that is a story for another rainy day.