Antonyms

I've spent a large portion of my summer as an intern in slate gray scrubs (my favorite color) teaching second and third grade boys upper level language concepts. I now know idioms like the back of my hand, and have become a pro at asking and answering questions on legos and soccer to help them improve their social skills. One of the harder concepts for my 8 year old friends to wrap their minds around was antonyms- opposites. Sure, some simply come to mind: hot and cold, yes and no, in and out, up and down... But many others the kids struggled with, like the antonym of bold or bravery. It's often difficult to envision something very different than what you're talking or thinking about, something you're used to.

I've found this fact to prove true in life. A lot of my friends are similar to me- synonyms if you will. Our thought processes, reasoning, interests and therefore lives are the similar. Sharing life with them is comforting, calming, effortless, wonderful. I cherish it and the fact that they can understand how I tick. Some of the most fascinating people, some of the people that I've learned the most from, however, are those completely different form me- the antonyms. Because of their very nature of being different, I feel challenged around them. Sure, sometimes they upset that comfort and consistency that I so deeply long for, but it's in a wonderful way. I think one of the most important and life changing things we learn in life is to love and learn from those antonyms.

Antonyms encourage growth, change, progression. They help us to become more than we are, better and different than we thought we could be. They bring out qualities and sides of ourselves we didn't know existed. And isn't that the point of it all? Growth. Becoming. Journeying to who we were created to be.

David Crowder says it best: "The antonym of me, You are divinity." It should come as not surprise that sometimes, it is antonyms who help us to become who God created us to be. My appreciation for antonyms increases daily. I am grateful for that.