What Holds Us Back

So, I recently started going to this program just for the high school students every Wednesday night. It’s called Young Life, and it’s ah-ma-zing! Basically what we do is meet and talk to friends for a few minutes, and then go inside our building and sing, play games, and talk about Jesus. And when that’s over, we go to Chick-Fil-A to eat. There’ve only been two meetings so far, and they’ve been the highlight of my week. Young Life reminds me that there are so many amazing people right in my own school.



Young Life has been my great escape for the past two weeks, because they’ve been unusually stressful. There’s not really a specific reason, but it’s the same old thing that holds me back. We all have some type of obstacle in our lives that keep us from living a close-to-careless life. My question for you is what holds you back? How long has this been a problem?


There are actually many things for me, and sometimes I have to stop and tell myself I’m only fourteen. It shouldn’t be normal to stress about the same things all the time. I have fears. I fear rejection. I’m always trying to please someone else over myself, and it can be good, but not when it reaches a certain extreme. I’m sensitive and I hate it. But what can you do?


Well, God hears us if we decide to give him all of our fears. I ask Him to help me with something new every day. Sometimes I wonder if He’s getting annoyed with me, but then I remember that this is exactly what Jesus wants me to do. He wants to be my best friend; He wants to be the one I want to share everything with. And that’s exactly what I do. Sometimes what I want doesn’t happen, but nobody said I’d get everything I want. And even though it’s frustrating, something great usually happens to make up for it.


So this blog is just for me to say that I have problems like everybody else, and I’m not happy with them, but I have so many reasons to be grateful. I’m too sensitive, I’m too hard on myself, but every Wednesday night is a reminder from God that I am loved. And so are you.

Trust

We rely on other people to do so many things for us. We trust them. In cheer, like most sports, we have to know our teammates will be there when we need them. If we weren’t positive someone would catch us if we happened to fall, we wouldn’t take as many chances. In life, we pour our hearts out to our friends. We tell them our most personal secrets because we trust them. For some people, trust comes easily. For others, it can be harder to open up. And there will always be ‘those people’ who can’t be trusted, but the problem is trying to spot them. Unfortunately, we often have to figure that part out on our own. But when you can’t trust, the connection you once had with that person or thing is broken, and sometimes, it can’t be fixed.



It is a privilege to be trusted, and to be able to trust in others. Trust should not be taken lightly, or be used against anyone. So if you trusted someone and they didn’t come through, would you be capable of trusting them again? If so, how many chances would you give them?


Sometimes we continue to trust someone who has constantly let us down, and we know they would take advantage of us every chance they could get. Personally, I think everyone deserves a second chance (depending on the circumstance), and if they can really be trusted, there would be no need to give out any more. It’s okay to be cautious, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from giving your trust to somebody. And even though we all know we’re risking our humility whenever we trust someone, that’s just another reason why we should. Because we can learn from our mistakes rather than dwell on them, and we’ll be ready to pick ourselves up after the fall.






 You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough.
-Frank Crane

More Than A Shadow

Late at night, I stare at the ceiling and I look to my right

And see the only sliver of light

In a dark room.

Creating shadows and making shapes.

Isn’t it great how being young can fuel imagination?

What if I said I want to be more than just a shadow?

I want to feel outside the box.

And wishing makes me hopeful

But dreaming’s not enough.

I want to be able to say I left something behind

That you call your inspiration.

 

You’ve got to understand, I am who I am.

Either take it or leave it.

But I will tell you now, it won’t be worth your time

To try to change it.

Maybe I’m a little bit insane,

But I just think of this life as a game I’ve got to play

To prove I can win it.

 

What if I said I want to be more than just a shadow?

I want to feel outside the box.

And wishing makes me hopeful

But dreaming’s not enough.

I want to be able to say I left something behind

That you call your inspiration.

 

Every step of life is just another piece to add on to our puzzle.

And we won’t know what it’s supposed to look like until it’s over.

So, I guess I’ll stick around and just come out

Where the sun shines.

Taking Chances

Have you ever noticed the colors in her eyes are fading every day?
Have you ever watched a sunset start to fall, fall away?
Every day she promises she’ll change for the better,
But she hasn’t yet.
And every day is the beginning of the rest of her life,
But she says she’s tired of trying.


When you’ve lost all your motivation and all your hope,
Where do you turn to? Where do you go?
With all the other heartbreaks and shattered dreams;
When you feel like no one’s listening,
Come find me.


Are you still convinced you have nothing at all
When there are people out there who think
The sun only Rises for you?
But you’re just too busy looking at the things you don’t have,
Instead of looking past the material things.
Don’t you see you have everything you need?
But you still feel alone.




When you’ve lost all your motivation and all your hope,
Where do you turn to? Where do you go?
With all the other heartbreaks and shattered dreams;
When you feel like no one’s listening,
Come find me.


So you don’t believe in miracles or love at first sight.
You don’t believe in wishing on the first star of the night?Have you ever noticed the colors in her eyes are fading everyday?

You know that person who seems to have everything you want? And you think “Why can’t I have that life? If only I could change this, I would be happy.” And you start to envy them. You try to control it because you know it’s wrong, but you’re only human. We can’t do anything about where we came from or the way we look, but there are things we can control. Instead of dreaming of how you think your life should be, make it happen. Don’t worry about what other people will think, or look down on yourself because you’re not perfect; nobody is perfect. No, not even the one person who seems to come close. So don’t worry about getting hurt, because you will bounce back. And happiness is great, but you build more character when you’re knocked down. Don’t be afraid to live your life and take risks because you’re scared of what the outcome will be. But, we also have to remember that we have a reason for being here. Our lives have meaning. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with dreaming or wanting something, but don’t forget all the wonderful things you have right in front of you.