The Good Ole' Days

“Those were the good ole days.”

Have you ever said that?

Reminiscing with friends and family, it’s easy to look back on past memories and think of them as simple yet marvelous times, in which you recall being somewhat happier and more content then you are with your life right now.

Often times we think, “If only I could go back.” We think about how awesome it would be if we could have a do-over. Some of us wouldn’t even do anything different; simply being there and reliving the moment would be enough for them.

And yet, when you are in those times – it doesn’t seem that way at all. In fact, if I’m honest about my “good ole days,” I spent a lot of time complaining and trying to progress so that I could be out of them.

Let me give you a few examples.

Grade School. For me, when I think back to middle school and high school – I only remember wonderful memories. I think back to times filled with laughter, friendships, dating, and (a ton) of pranking and goofing off. I could tell you a million stories about high school that would leave you on the floor laughing – even if you didn’t know who the characters in the story were. Grade school was full of simplicity: being a kid, having little responsibilities, and hanging out with my friends.

And yet – the entire time I was in grade school – I was constantly focused on getting out of that time frame. I desperately wanted to get older, move up to the next grade, and ultimately graduate so that I could move to college. My entire mindset was defined by the idea that if I could only get to college – THEN I would be having a blast!

College. To be honest, I can’t tell you which was more fun: high school or college. Moving 6 hours away to a place where I was all alone, I met some incredible people and started to sprout roots in a completely different state. I learned a new worldview – very different from my own – and I met some amazing people (a lot of whom I still regularly contact today).

And the memories! Oh, the memories. College was full of friends, fun, laughter, and relationships. In fact, it was at college in which I really learned how to grow close to others and let them truly be a part of my life. My entire experience was priceless – and it has shaped who I am today.

YET – if you were to talk to my while I was IN college, I would’ve told you how focused I was to leave college. I would’ve told you how constantly busy I was – and how I was determined to be finished in 4 years. I would often ditch my friends to work on school work and been annoyed at people around me for selfish reasons. Towards my junior year, my entire mindset was defined by the idea that if I could only graduate and become a youth minister – THEN I would be having a blast!

Dating.

While in college, I met this wonderful woman (who is now my wife) named Maiah Johnson. She was smart, funny, and incredibly beautiful. Thinking back now, I would constantly go out of my way to impress her, make her laugh, and sweep her off her feet with charm and plant little surprises for her. Getting to know her was incredible, and I would never want to change or take back the way that I courted her to be my wife.

BUT – if you were to talk to me during our dating years, I probably would’ve told you how annoying it was to be in a long distant relationship. Seeing as how she was an hour up the road, I would tell you how I hated that we had to be apart, and how driving there and back took a huge toll on both of us on a regular basis. I’m sure I would’ve complained about other stuff as well, because my entire mindset was defined by the idea that if I could only get married – THEN I would be having a blast!  

Youth Ministry – North Carolina.

My first, REAL experience being a full time youth minister was probably the funniest thing ever. Looking back, I had no real idea what I was doing; I was winging it a lot, but somehow it was working. I was at a church that loved me, and I had a mentor (Glenn Brickhouse) who had my back and often was a guard to help me from going in the gutter. I learned a lot about people, love, youth ministry and the church. I built incredible friendships and relationships – and I got to be a part of student’s lives who I believe are going to change the world.

HOWEVER – if you would’ve talked to me then, I’m sure I would have had a number of complaints. Where to start? It was in the country, and I was a city boy. They had a dress code (what?! I have to wear something other than sandals?!). I felt like I was working all the time. A handful of people didn’t like me. Towards the end of my time there (after I had announced my resignation), I once again developed the mindset that if I could only get to Edgewood – THEN I would REALLY be having a blast!

Today.

Currently, I am youth minister at Edgewood Christian Church, and I work with/oversee around 20 youth sponsors who are involved in the lives of around 20-30 kids per week. The church has done nothing but grow since we have arrived, and it is full of genuine people who care for one another.

Every single week I get to do incredible things:

·      Make my own office hours/work schedule

·      Decide if I want to work at the church building, a Starbucks, or my back porch.

·      Eat food with teenagers and catch up with their lives

·      Drink coffee with people and check up on them spiritually

·      Lead bible studies full of friends, fun and laughter

·      Oversee our vision and purpose, and intentionally see that it comes to life

This week we planned a Back 2 School Bash which included paintball, a cookout, and a waterslide. How is this considered work?!

I say all that because tonight I needed to remind myself something: I am living in the good ole days right now.

If I could take it one step further – Every day you live is a “good ole day.”

Every single day that we live is a gift from God. The memories you make IN THAT DAY will be locked in your head – and years from now you will look back on them, reminisce and smile. You will miss that moment, and wish that you were able to return to it and live it out again.

That being said, why do we treat these good ole days like they are nothing special? If anything, we tend to complain and let our negative attitude sour everything we experience. We stress ourselves out and constantly talk about how busy we are. Often times we think, “If only I could make it to ____________, then I’ll be having a blast!

 We become so focused on either the past or the future that we fail to stop and see that the best time of our life is happening right now.

Maybe this is why God’s word is constantly reminding us to stop, slow down, and enjoy the life we are living TODAY.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. - Matthew 6:34

What if you were to realize that this very day – this very hour in which you are living and breathing is a gift from God? What if you were to realize that this precious time (that seems to be slipping away from us faster and faster) is only around once?!

How would that change the way you live? How would that change your outlook on life?

The reality is that God has given you another chance to “relive the good ole days” by simply allowing you to wake up and make one more “good ole day.”

What are you going to do about it?   

So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. ¹³ And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. - Ecc. 3:12-13