UP COMING ADULTS

By LaVell Gatewood

To our upcoming adults, I am writing to you concerning the decisions that we make.  Decisions can be our own or ones that others try to make for us.  I’m asking you to remember one thing.  If what you’re about to do will hurt yourself or others, then don’t do it.

I say this because we/you need to be aware of the impact that we cause beforehand.  Sometimes it may help to place ourselves in that person’s shoes.  The place where you are, I have truly been there.  It is hard for you to say “no” to fitting in, or wanting to be part of the in-crowd, but look at the bigger impact that you will display when you decide to say “no.”

I looked around at my loved ones to see that I was hurting. I was causing stress and anxiety not knowing if I had hurt someone or been hurt.  It feels like the decisions I made in the past lead to me making the wrong choices.  When I decided to go to God, this all stopped.  I was afraid to let others know this new lifestyle, and I hid what I was doing.  I prayed and read the Bible.  This continued until I read that if we truly love the Lord, we cannot be afraid to speak His word boldly.

The Bible tells us that the Lord does not look too kindly upon individuals that do not give their whole love to Him.  I made a wholehearted decision to turn my heart, will, and soul over to Him.  I ask you to go to Him; and if you don’t like or love what the Lord is and will do for you, you can always return to your old lifestyle.

God has brought me and my family through some very tough times.  Death in the family, family members refusing to talk to one another, divorce, and God has been right there for us every step of the way!  If you want to know how close He is to my heart, my 8-year-old grandson just started to talk and laugh with me.  The fear of what I have done in the past paralyzed our communication.  It truly was God that allowed this fear to be taken away.

I do not know you, but you do not have to know the person to care for that person.  People do not care what you know until they know that you care.

Please try God!  He truly loves you and me. He will display His love to you if you only allow Him into your life.