rebelling against low expectations

AuthorSara Willoughby

is the 20-year-old author of He's Making Diamonds: A Teen's Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness. She loves to read, write, and have adventures, be it off to Narnia one more time, wading through mud chasing the family dog, or playing a new board game with her two younger siblings. Sara is also a Lymie, TCK, and Bright Lights leader. You can find her at sgwilloughby.com

Why Teenagers Need Solitude (Even Extroverts)

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This week, I spent three days without speaking. It was hard. Y’all, I’m an extrovert! I’m a people person. I’m an external processor. I spend all day every day talking with people, laughing with people, offering tissues to people. At the end of a long day, I don’t want to totally retreat, I want to laugh with my closest friends. But you know what? Three days without speaking was incredible, and I...

Why Teens Should Think About Death More

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I wish people thought about death more. I think it would change the world. Hang on, stick with me. It’s just that this weekend, I witnessed a car accident. I was almost in a car accident. I also grieved the death of a family friend in a skiing accident. And I experienced the fragility of the human body, dealing with unusual brain swelling and lung issues. I’m twenty – we aren’t supposed to...

Rebelutionary, Don’t Forget to Have Fun

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A few years ago, I wrote an article for TheReb called “Rebelutionary, Don’t Forget to Be A Kid.” Then life went on, and I forgot about it. Recently, I was talking with a fellow Rebelutionary, encouraging him to delight in God and enjoy life. “Life is not just about having fun. But fun is part of life.” Due to different life circumstances, we both had to grow up too soon, and somewhere in the mix...

3 Reasons Teenagers Need Senior Citizen Friends

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“Do you want to go to a ladies’ brunch at my church tomorrow morning?” It was ten o’clock at night when Abby’s text came, and I deliberated. I had an insane to-do list for tomorrow. But I was trying to be intentional about reaching out and making friends, so I said yes. That morning, we arrived at her church and Maria met us at the door. Maria had some of the deepest laughter wrinkles I’d ever...

Rebelutionary, Don’t Forget to Be a Kid

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“You’re a weird adult,” my little sister informed me. Apparently talking in a funny voice isn’t something an eighteen-year-old normally does. But I personally think it should be. If you’re reading this, chances are you consider yourself a “rebelutionary.” Maybe, like me, you were raised to serve God intentionally in your youth. We’ve watched so many of our peers waste precious teen...

Has Quarantine Stolen Your Purpose?

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I had big plans for my high school years. I was going to lead Bible studies and disciple younger girls and volunteer and get involved in local ministry. I was determined to use those years of flexibility and energy well for God’s glory. I was going to do hard things. Well, God had other plans. I spent the majority of my high school years bedridden and housebound. I got sick—really sick—and I...

Don’t Do Hard Things By Yourself

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Are you a dreamer? I’ve noticed a lot of Rebelutionaries tend to be dreamers. Crazy dreamers. We passionately come up with projects and ideas totally ridiculous for a teenager to realistically accomplish. Sometimes, we realize that reality and give up on our dreams. Yet a lot of the time—often because of our ignorance—we dive right in and go for it anyway. Sometimes we fall flat on our face. But...

How To Be Okay With Missing Out

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“Be okay with missing out,” I told a living room full of middle school girls. “You don’t have to be a part of every single activity or conversation.” We were talking about friendship, but the concept is relevant to so many areas of our lives: be okay with missing out. Easier said than done, I know. We want to be a part of everything. We want to be a part of not only conversations and activities...

What if We Avoided Sin Like We Avoid Spoilers?

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Confession: I haven’t seen Endgame. Okay, no, that’s not the confession (though it is true). The confession is I haven’t even seen Infinity War. And it’s not because I don’t want to — far from it! Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I’m a Lord of the Rings-Star Wars-Marvel kind of girl. (Not DC. Sue me.) But then the doctor said no. No, you can’t watch action movies anymore. Sara, it’s...

Don’t Despise Your Own Youth

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“Can I just talk to you?” she asked, pausing in our driveway before she left. She had stopped by while running errands, and I’d been helping her find the stuff she’d come to pick up. “Of course!” I replied, pretty sure I knew where this was going. Sure enough, she began to share some of the emotions and struggles she’d been wrestling through that week. The only reason I knew about them was in...

rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →