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None of us are strangers to feeling outside. I’m a military daughter, I’ve moved from one coast of the country to another; so I know what it’s like to walk into a room full of pre-existing circles—circles that you aren’t in. Alienation isn’t a new experience for any of us, nor an unusual one, but there is one experience I’ve had that I think encapsulates it. It was a large Christian event...
It’s almost noon, and today I almost broke down twice. I’m supposed to be happy, filled with joy, but today I can’t do it. I’m utterly broken, filled with that inexplicable sadness, and I don’t want this holiday season to come. Why? Because then I have to be happy–and that’s a foreign concept. I have to set aside my sorrows and somehow find joy. This year I’m not sure that’s something I can...
I’m sure you’ve all experienced being labeled something. The world labels people by what they do and what they look like, instead of who they really are. For me, I struggle with defining myself by my disability. It’s hard being visually impaired sometimes. Some of the simplest tasks can be so frustrating. There are also a lot of different awkward social situations that can happen. For example, if...
To you, the kid with the boring testimony: I get it. You write your story: I was born into the church, accepted Jesus when I was four, and have been following him ever since. Then you crumple it up and try to think of something more exciting, because that isn’t going to convince anybody of the miraculous work of God. To the kid with the boring testimony: I understand. I’m the kid who has been...
The autumn after we graduate from high school, we young adults are expected to go to college. That’s simply the pattern. However, not all of us follow that well-trodden path, and people look at those who don’t as odd or lazy. I live at home with my parents and have no plans for college now that I’ve graduated from high school. I suffer from the same dilemma as many new graduates who aren’t...
During middle school, I was a member of a theater group. My classmates and I were inexperienced actors who regularly made mistakes. One of the girls in our group would apologize after every mistake. She developed a habit of saying “I’m sorry” even when she hadn’t messed up. She said it so often that the director finally told her, “No more apologizing! Stop saying you’re sorry!” I can relate...
Many consider the holidays to be a time of celebration where people give, receive, and spend time with those they love. However, not everyone has this kind of luxury. Not everyone has a loving family, and others are far away from those they love. Still others have had people pass away or become sick amidst the holidays. And ironically, for some, in this season meant for joy, joy can be hard to...
A common misconception about Christianity is that a relationship with Jesus will take away all of life’s problems. I grappled with this idea for years. If God loves me and I’ve done all he’s asked of me, why do I still have faults and struggles and problems? If I’m supposed to be like Christ, who is perfect (Matthew 5:48), then why am I not that way? I was a good, homeschooled, church-going boy...
I’ve been there. One of the hardest parts of being a Christian is evangelism. We live in a broken world with broken people, whose only solution is Christ. We’re around unbelievers every single day, but we routinely act as if the hour is not at hand, as if we have our eyes set on the here and now and not on what’s above. We hide our light under a lampstand and create lies in our head that...
Those who are familiar with The Chronicles of Narnia will remember the great and valiant mouse, Reepicheep. We love Reepicheep because he’s daring, brave, funny, and serious all at the same time. As small as he is, he fought in the Second Battle of Beruna with all the strength, willpower, and zeal he has, combatting creatures many times his size. Even when the battle was getting dangerous and...
rebelling against low expectations
