Starting Adulthood

Three weeks ago I asked the 10 year old son of a friend of mine, "How old do you have to be to be an adult?" His answer surprised me. He said 20. We all laughed because he took about a minute or two to think it over, and answer with a question "20?"

Good thing for me, he is wrong. Adulthood begins when you start paying for everything. In my case, by God's grace that has not happened until now. I am aware of how fortunate (and spoiled) that makes me. But my folks are the most gracious and giving people I know, so they have been so good to me to "help me out" these 25 years.

But adulthood has officially been reached when you begin to pay for everything. It begins when you start working a legit 8-5 job, and realize how much you took for granted all the free time of the college years (and maybe a year or more afterward too). I have realized how much my dad has given of himself day in and day out, for longer than I have been alive to provide the kind of life I had growing up. Granted, all we - the Sleepers - have is because Christ secured all blessings at the cross, both eternal and temporal, tangible and invisible alike. But that does not mean my dad has not worked hard and diligent for many years to provide for us in the way he has/does/will.

It also goes to show me how much he must have given of himself, not just the hours and sometimes the really long hours, but the setting aside of self to meet the needs and more often than that the wants of his family. I cannot remember once where his desires superseded the family as a whole. Not once. My mom, brothers, and myself have always said, "He is the most giving and generous person I know." that statement was true then, but now, O BOY! Now it rings with new depth of meaning and significance, because as I sit here I am constantly thinking how I can even now less than 4 months from marrying Meredith, I am thinking how am I going to best provide for her? How will I tangibly and really put her first, ahead of me every single time?Not just in the theoreticals and hypotheticals.

And that is when I recall I have two examples, no make that three. I have my dad, who has been married to my mom for 35 or 36 some odd years. I have my older brother, who has been married to Brooke for 4 and 1/2 years, and I also have CHRIST and the CHURCH. One of those stands tall above the other two, you figure it out.

So, as I begin my adulthood phase of life, I am excited, a bit stressed out (trying to get this new life up and running), a bit anxious with anticipation of all the new coming my way tomorrow, next week, in November, and especially in January. But not so anxious about January, just thrilled out of my mind!

So, how old do you have to be to be an adult? ... I hope there is no set age, because I don't ever want to grow up fully ... you know, I still want to have some child-like playfulness about in the next 60 years.