This last few months has been topically about maturity for me.  It is not that I felt immature, but that I was thinking immaturely in some areas of my life.  A few weeks ago I posted the following quote on Twitter:

“We are not mature until we accept full responsibility for our choices.” – Chester McCalley

This quote has been running through my mind since hearing it.  I wrestle with responsibility because part of me is immature, I am still 14 in some parts of me (and not just the parts of me that like fart jokes).  I have been identifying some of those places with the help of the Holy Spirit and looking for opportunities to look at them from a heavenly perspective.  Not a perspective of “What can I fix to make me all better by myself?”  But more of the angle of, “What can I look at from a heavenly perspective?”  I’ve been trying to look at the consequences of my choices with the right attitude: I made the choice, I face the consequence.  But one of the things that came to bear on my mind was this last Tuesday when I got a speeding ticket.

I was driving Abby to the dentist and I was not paying attention to my speed.  I was not intentionally speeding, but I was also not intentionally driving the speed limit.  I looked over, saw the officer, glanced down, and saw I was going WAY too fast.  He turned on his lights, and I pulled over.  I knew I was speeding, I knew I was violating the law, and I knew it was my fault.  I knew I was responsible.  While I’m not proud of my having sped, I took the opportunity to love my little passenger (who was rather concerned for my interaction with the officer because she didn’t want me to go to jail) and explain to her that all the times I tell her, “think before you act,” were equally applicable to me.  I had not been thinking before I acted with my speed.  A lesson learned.

On top of this hefty lesson from my own life there, I was able to encourage the police office.  That’s right, I was encouraging the police officer who had given me a ticket.  I had said, “Merry Christmas,” to him.  He replied, “Merry Christmas.  I feel kinda dirty saying that after giving you this [ticket].”  I told him that he needn’t worry about giving me a ticket because he was just doing his job.  A job that needs doing.  I think he was shocked I wasn’t mad at him.  I think he was surprised that I was so positive about him doing his job.  This was an area where I could see maturity as a critical part of me looking at my mistake.  I’ve been awfully careful about my speed the rest of the week, and on top of that, I was thinking a lot more about how I should be representing adulthood to my family.

[NOT TO BE ANSWERED IN THE COMMENTS :)]

What is the biggest struggle you face when thinking of maturity?  Where do you need to have a mature perspective?  I don’t think that I am operating with blind spots until they’re shown me.  Do you mind having them shown?  How best do we talk to others about these areas in life (if it is even appropriate to do so)?