On Changing for the Better

I have a splendid idea... Only, it's too late because I just thought of it and I needed to start a long time ago.
If I had a time machine I'd skip through time. Here's what I would do at each stop.

I would take a picture of little Stef growing up. I'd put it in a journal, of sorts, and I'd interview little Stef and make notes about her personality.

It would look/sound a lot like this:

Eh picture:   Quiet, shy, scared of own shadow
Ugly picture:  Quiet, shy, scared of own shadow
Hideous picture: Quiet, shy, nerdy, scared of own shadow
Eh picture:  Quiet, shy, somewhat athletic, nerdy, still very much afraid of own shadow
Decent picture: Quiet, very athletic, socially awkward, shadow very scary, control freak
Pretty good picture: Quiet, really awkward, taking a machete to jungle of life - creating path, still big control freak

Then...... BLAMO!!!!  Several years pass and it looks more like this:

Decent Picture: Quiet, smart, confident, silly, not afraid of shadow.

Last night something very odd happened. I was at the home of a buddy of mine. It was girls night and several of us sat around eating yummy food and telling stories. It was great fun. BUT, as I was walking out the front door, my buddy smacked my backside! WHAT?! I just kept talking, but I walked away questioning. She has never done that before. Apparently our relationship has crossed over from friends to really good friends? Not sure. Anyway, it got me thinking.

When I run that scenario across my personalities through the years, my reaction would definitely have been very different. When I was in my mid twenties one of my crazy friends grabbed my backside in a moment that made perfect sense to what was going on. Everyone there saw and laughed hysterically except me. I got IRATE. I didn't speak to her for a long time afterward. I was dumb because if you heard the story you would think it was funny too. I even think now that it was funny. It just wasn't well received at the time because I was ridiculously rigid.

I realized last night that I've come a long way. I still didn't appreciate my backside being slapped but I didn't freak out and embarrass myself. And, I don't hold a grudge. I still love my buddy. The truth is we're friends because she is crazy and I do enjoy a healthy dose of crazy every once and a while.

I'm grateful to be aware of how God has molded me through the years. Too often I encounter people who it seems have decided who they are and are unwilling to entertain the notion that time and circumstances can actually change a person for the better. I think that's sad.