rebelling against low expectations

Fighting Geometry and Social Media and Consistency: Audrey’s Story

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After reading so many great entries for the Do Hard Things Story Contest, we’ve decided to highlight a story on TheRebelution every week for the rest of the year. Each story emphasizes how Do Hard Things has impacted these rebelutionaries. Today, meet Audrey!


My name is Audrey and I am fifteen years old.

I live in the scorching hot sun of Arizona. I read Do Hard Things a couple of weeks ago, and I basically finished the whole thing in three days flat.

It was a huge encouragement for me seeing that there are other young adults trying to do things that many people think we are too young to do.

Lately I have felt completely out-numbered by teenagers who adhere to very low expectations. It meant the world to me to read the testimonies of other young people shedding the title “teenager” and instead rising to be “a young adult.”

Like the average young adult out there, I face daily challenges.

The hard choice and the easy choice sit before me. One of the daily challenges I am currently facing is geometry.

I got terribly behind in my geometry book this year due to me escaping on the easy road, which is simply “avoid math at all costs” when I really should have been bravely plunging into it daily.

But the geometry book wasn’t getting any closer to getting done.

In fact, it was just becoming more ominous day by day.

As I was reading Do Hard Things, I ran across the chapter where the Harris brothers were listing a few common excuses that teenagers might say when they are avoiding doing hard things.

One was, “I’m really not a math person.”

I realized that those were common words out of my mouth.

I determined then that even though math was difficult for me, I wasn’t going to let it beat me.

Today, I sat down with my trusty Math-U-See dvd’s and got busy completing a few days worth of math.

I got the pleasure of telling my mom that I did geometry without her even asking me to!

Needless to say, she was just a little bit shocked. Okay … that might be an understatement.

I was praying practically the whole time I was doing math, asking God for wisdom and understanding.

I can happily say that He in no way failed me! Since that first push to get some geometry done, I have kept consistently working on geometry almost every day.

God has been right there with me giving me the wisdom and motivation I need to get through the next page.

Another thing that really bogged me down was social media.

Over time, I’ve had tiny spurts where I stayed off blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. I would get a little better at controlling it, but I would slip right back into my old ways.

Truth is, I would often try to use Facebook and Twitter as ways to be rid of anxiety, but in reality it would only make it worse.

None of the stuff I was looking at was evil; in fact everything I read or looked at was by Christians.

To put it simply, it was just a waste of time.

Sometimes we need a little help to conquer bad habits, and my parents were just the help I needed. They cut off my access to Facebook and Twitter (praise God!) and I’ve actually been living my own life instead of reading about other people’s lives.

I’ve been without it for a few weeks, and the freedom I have felt has been incredible.

I’ve actually been excited about getting to have one of my dear friends over for a sewing day, or going to church to practice a skit for kid’s ministries.

It makes really seeing people in person all the more special.

While texting is fine and social media is okay, it just can’t beat the real thing.

A few months ago, I was in the Easter play at my church this year, and during one of our practices the ladies had a little break because the men were rehearsing the Last Supper scene.

To this particular meeting I had brought my crocheting project instead of my phone. I was sitting right between two ladies I knew fairly well, hoping one of them would like to chat.

Unfortunately, we completely missed the opportunity.

They were both on their phones, on Facebook, while real live people were sitting around who would have loved to chat.

I know I’m guilty of the same thing. We pay more attention to a friend’s like on a Twitter post than we would a friendly hello from them.

That is kind of sad. Our society has completely changed in the years of technology coming on the scene.

I think my overall favorite part of the book was the chapter entitled, “Small Hard Things.”

Right now, it seems like I have a lot of little things I have to conquer on a daily basis.

It can be hard – okay maybe more like impossible – to stay motivated when things really don’t seem to be making an impact. Doing geometry every day or staying off of social media isn’t one big overall decision. It is the minute by minute decisions that have a huge impact.

I haven’t felt God calling me to start my own organization, so I have tried to spend as much time helping other Christian organizations and ministries.

Sometimes it is hard to stay faithful in volunteering because it feels like you are trying to empty the beach of its sand with a pair of tweezers.

I have to remind myself that no act of love is insignificant.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Galatians 6:9, which says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Consistency is hard, but so worth it.

If any of you are struggling with those little hard things, be encouraged that you are not alone. The key for me conquering little hard things has really been relying on God’s strength.

You can’t do it on your own, but with the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, nothing will be impossible to us who rely on Him!


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About the author

Audrey French

Audrey French is a graduate from Grand Canyon University’s Honors College. She works for Feed My Starving Children as a program facilitator. She also does the communications work for AIM for Christ, a ministry that serves the San Carlos Apache reservation. Nothing makes her happier than catching up with good friends and hanging out with her family. She is passionate about growing in her faith in Jesus and helping nonprofit organizations such as Compassion International. You can find her blogging at Living Blessed With Less.

19 comments

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  • I completely understand the math. Technically I’m ahead a year, so it’s not as much pressure, but I’m nearly half a semester behind in pre-algebra. I use Bob Jones, which some teachers have said is about a grade harder than what public schools would use. I feel like doing more than one lesson a day to get caught up would just be so overwhelming, but I’ll try to at least do a lesson each day and not get further behind.

    • I’m in the same boat…. A year ahead, in PreCalc though, and stillllll behind cause I missed a week a couple months back and need to get fully caught up 😛

  • So new update to this story! The geometry book is completely finished! HALLELUJAH!!!!! Now I get more practice doing hard things with keeping on top of algebra and chemistry. 🙂 Thank you for all the nice comments. It is so encouraging to know that there are other young people just like me, doing challenging things for God.

  • Your story was so encouraging! I myself have always been a math person and like getting ahead but in some areas i slack and dont try my hardest in and I go to wate hours on Pinterest or texting people all day. Thank God for parent putting us back in line though!

  • You crochet! I’m so thrilled for you! I’m a knitter myself… Happiness, happiness, I found another fiber geek on the Reb! 😀

    Seriously, though, your article was really good. It’s true. It’s not one big decision, it’s minute by minute. And that’s harder than one big decision.

  • Girl, I wish I could give you a hug. I am fighting that same battle, my geometry book is not even halfway finished and I definitely get discouraged because I can’t seem to get caught up or work consistently. I have been searching for the heart issue that leads to my procrastination and you nailed it. Trying to do things on my own strength is one of the biggest stumbling blocks I have. God has been teaching me to rely on Him and its so encouraging to hear that He has brought you through your geometry struggles and He will bring me through mine. Thank you for letting Him speak through you and being a vessel of love.

  • This is fantastic. I share both your social media and your geometry homework… sighhh. Thanks for sharing your encouraging story!

  • Reading DHT, that “I not a math person” got me too. Another Math-U-See person! I, too, am behind.

    I think that your message on Social Media is an important one! I have have been in exactly the same place you were in between those two ladies. It is a hard place to be. Bu how can we change that, how can we do things differently… 🙂

  • Thank you for this encouraging post! I probably struggle with the small hard things the most. Thanks for letting me know i am not alone

  • Great post Audrey! I too am a homeschooler who struggles with math. I use khan academy to help teach myself math and it’s been a miracle worker! Good luck to you on your endeavors in conquering geometry.

  • You do Math-U-See? I used to and loved it but had to discard it for Saxon Math when we switched programs 🙁 And I completely identify with falling behind in math…… I think I’m somewhere around week……..6? I’m supposed to be on week 15 🙁

  • Great Article!! I am glad to hear that not everybody is addicted to social media!
    Im a math whizz (two years ahead) but I still slack somethimes. (And no, Im not a genius in everything!) 🙂

    • I’m glad math comes easy for you! I am terrible at math! I would gladly skip math and do extra writing! 🙂 LOL

  • I am SO far behind in math! I’m probably gonna end up splitting it into 2 years worth. :-/ I’m in Algebra 1 and just to let you know…I’m terrible at it! 🙁 Luckily, I probably won’t have to do Algebra 2!!! Hallelujah!!!! 🙂 What I want to know is how you did that much math all at once?!!!? I could NEVER do that! My brain would be totally dead. I couldn’t even think/concentrate enough to do that! I can barely do 2 days worth!!! :-/ (And FYI I am taking a Brain Tonic medicine that helps you concentrate!) So, I totally fit in with you! Thanks for the encouragement! Great article! 🙂

By Audrey French
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 →