Things that Stay and Things that Change

It's strange to think about sometimes, how you change with age and how you stay the same. Some of those things you hated when you were very little stay with you for the rest of your life and you learn to accept it like something good, and some of those things that you feel you are cursed with God helps you through and you'd never then imagine the sweet blessedness you now enjoy.
When I was five, I hated those baby hairs that curled around my face and since they go by such a name I figured that with age they would leave me... They haven't yet, but we've made peace. My lips were chapped back then all the time and I hated the taste of Carmex, but I had to keep using it. My lips are still chapped pretty much all the time, but I don't use Carmex anymore, and it means that at least I can fully enjoy the refreshing moisture of lip balm.
But I used to always feel very much alone as well and mostly set aside from the world. It's easy for people to befriend the little talkative kids, but the really quiet, thoughtful ones are rather intimidating I suppose, and I tended to be slow about making friends. It seemed some kind of curse--though I would simultaneously not have chosen to be anyone different--that no one really understood me outside of my family. It was my fault, of course, but as very little children we are our natural selves, not thinking, without a great deal of instruction, to be like the rest. But this has faded, by the grace of God, with much time, though I may perhaps always struggle. I know love and acceptance. I have friends that I care about and that care about me to the point that we fight to understand each other and minister to each other. It's a work of God.
Then there is legalism which controlled me thoroughly when I was young. It was horrible. I can not think of that time in my life without pain. I would never want to do it again. Some people don't see legalism as sin, but I do, because I know how it works. I think it's the enemy himself, or an angel under his command, endeavoring to enslave a person, to dictate their actions, to continue cracking his whip, reminding him how far he is from God's standard, telling him how much God expects, how disappointed God is with his life. When a person allows the enemy to enslave them this way, that is legalism. I feared I would always be it's slave, but by the grace of God, I have been saved from this as well! I pray I may never fall into it's trap again, for it is not at all a thing of God. He never intended His children to do His work without His power. It is, in fact, impossible.
So, praise God for baby hairs, for chapped lips, for friends, for freedom in Christ!