you're no problem at all-1,096 words

i am me. me isn’t you, and you isn’t me< caption obvious there.

and just a warning, this post is very liable to ramble and rabbit trail to absolutely anywhere.

you were warned. 

 

i've been thinking a lot about how everyone’s standards differ. sometimes drastically, sometimes very little. and so i though i’d sit myself down and try to explain how i feel about it all.

of course i’ll start out with me. i’m not your average 17yr old american,  that’s actually an understatement. compared to most kids i can seem to be different in so many ways, sometimes it worries me {wait. i don’t worry, um. concern? scares..makes me feel like a turd, there, that’s better} and sometimes its hard to explain the areas i’m different.  being different from the average girl in 2012 isn’t easy, no one ever said it was. but i want to only be me, and me happens to be different from them because me happens to belong to christ. this isn’t to say i’m bizarre and totally unique because i’m a christian, no i have a lot in common with a lot of different people, including un-believers. but having things in common is way different than having the same standards/views about life.  this is really the key to how i am different. or to how god is daily making me different.

and just thinking that being like Him makes me different, makes me love to be different in the worlds eyes, and embrace is with all i have. 

but back to the point.

there are tons of people whom i know that are a lot like me, and i’m positive we would be great pals because we have so much in common. but right now i don't feel it would benefit me to be friends with just anyone who i might get along with. specially since i get along great with lots of different people. so how do i know how to pick my friends wisely? 

simple.

STANDARDS/MORALS/VIEWS

i don't think anyone can deny that to find truly great people who will build you up in life, your going to want to find ones who have the same beliefs as you. does this mean i shun any un-beleiver who comes my way asking for friendship?? certainly not. whats loving and christ like about that?

having different standards or a different moral outlook on life creates complications when your a kid just wanting to have a good time.

 its hard when people ask “so why aren’t you and so and so really good friends? you’ve known each other for years and seem to get along fine!”. its hard to look at that person and say, “well, they don’t really believe in the same things i do,  nor do they have high standards like me, so i just stay away from them”, because its more complicated than just that, and most of the time its not worth explaining to people because they more than likely won’t understand. they can’t wrap it around their silly heads that a 17yr old can have high standards for herself.  or was taught to have high standards. its probably the hardest thing i’ve ever been taught. and i’m still learning it at that.

if i put myself around people who’s standards and values in life were different from mine, and most likely less godly, it wouldn’t do me anything but harm. that’s why its so important who i spend my time with, its so important to choose my friends wisely. just because i get along great with someone, doesn’t mean it would be healthy for us to “hang out”. why would i want to get myself attached to someone who’s beliefs/moral outlooks and view of god were drastically different from mine? who do you think would be dragged down? me, of course, because i’m not mature enough, or wise enough yet to really handle it in a positive way. i’m starting to see just how important it is to put yourself around people who will build you up, instead of bring you down. but you have to be careful and always seeking god’s wisdom in this area, because sometimes a certain group of people might look nice and dandy from the outside. they might look like good people with high standards. but sometimes they aren’t. of course there is always room for growth and mistakes, and over time you will be able to spot these people..and then run away. 

-it wasn’t easy to see my childhood  friends be allowed by their parents to hang around fun people that i wasn’t allowed to be around. no it wasn’t easy at all, but boy am i grateful for it now.-

of course all this doesn’t mean that if i don’t line up with someone exactly then i’m going to have to let them know they won’t have the privilege of getting to know me. most of my close friends don’t line up with me in every single area. because they don’t have to. there’s still freedom in christ and i’m really grateful for it. god might tell me one thing and tell you another, and that’s fine. its just doesn’t always mean i'll need or want to be your friend. <sarcasm. i feel the need to point it out or i know someone will get their chonis {that’s spanish for underpants} in a wad. 

so that’s the root of the “i’m different and happy with it” issue:)

become yourself for you, your friends, and him because that's all that matters. and most of the time, i believe, if your in tune with god and have a real relationship with him, you’ll find that your called to be different, and its not easy because the world is all around you and they hate the sort of 'differentness' that god has called you to be. but don't be ashamed of this, there's a good pride in being prideful that god made you a man or a woman, and that he designed you to fill a role.

sometimes this is the hardest part of being a christian, to truly be set apart.

i’m really glad that i have a lot of awesomely godly people in my life to keep me company. i’m not much of a loner, and it would be sad to go through this life constantly having to keep up being different from everyone around you. obviously i know that this is where the strength of the lord comes in. but i was just saying… i do enjoy having friends:p

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and that there my friends was 1,096 very thought over words. i’m not sure if you could call them wise, but i hope it made as much sense to you as it does to me:)

and as always, have a good week my dears.

over and out,

noni