Bob Dylan wasn't kidding when he sang "The Times They are a-Changin'". That song has always had meant a lot to me because every line relates to some aspect of my life. Our lives are filled with change, and the outcome is solely based on our ability to deal with those transitions. While some changes are, Dylan describes as, "It'll soon shake your windows… And rattle your walls." Those changes move us to the very core and form who we are.

One major change that one faces is the transition from a youth to a young adult in the Church. I can remember my last day of church camp and the emptiness that followed the next few weeks. I had spent every summer for years with at least one week at the top of a mountain at church camp, and at the end of my senior year, I had no idea where I was going to find next year's week of renewal. I was told that the emptiness would dissipate with time, and I would find something else that would light my fire. Looking back right now, I think I have.

It took a while for me to be able to accept the fact that I was a "young adult" in the Church because I was longing for the old days and also because I did not understand what was expected of me in this big scary world of responsibility. So, I made it through my first semester unscathed by joining the Disciples on Campus group. However, that did not feel very different because it was kind of like a youth group meeting every week.

It wasn't until I was asked to be one of the keynoters at the midwinter event in the Great River Region that I felt truly separated from the youth world. This is an event I planned and participated in just one year before, and now I was there but completely separated. I had a message to give, and I was there to inspire the people who had just been my peers.

Being a young adult is not necessarily a different path; it is simply a different environment. My commitments are now as a counselor at camp instead of a camper, a STEP team and Disciples on Campus member instead of a Youth Commissioner. My activities are different, but my loyalty is still to God because he is the God of the young, the old, and the in between.

It's a good thing I am starting to get this transition thing under control because I have a feeling my life is going to be a whirlwind for the rest of my young adult life. Just sitting here and thinking about what I will be like in ten years is amazing. It is a good thing I have God in my life to keep me grounded in these times, and with that, I leave you with a little more Bob Dylan (cause I just can't get enough!).