rebelling against low expectations
Every Christmas season we’re barraged with holiday clichés and messages of love and peace. Christian ministries remind us to “keep Christ in Christmas,” and every church sermon somehow intertwines the message of “goodwill to all men.” All of this is good. In fact, Christ should be the focal point of our celebration. But sometimes, the debate of “keep Christ in...
Recently I’ve been learning the art of communication. In other words, I’ve been learning how shallow our words and actions can be. For instance, many Christians say, “I’m praying for you” when the reality is: they’re not. “I’m praying for you” can be synonymous with “I have better things to do” or, “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, but…” Such a beautiful thing—prayer and the...
I once had this perception of college. The perception that every single college student has it all together. That while I’m still floundering, these students have their lives figured out at age eighteen. That while I contemplate and wonder if this is God’s will for my life, they somehow have the ability to know the future and every plan God has ordained for them. I would stress and feel...
I lay on my bed, curled up as small as I could. No tears, just silent in my thoughts. I wrapped myself in my arms, squeezing harder the more I wished my thoughts would quit their tormenting. I had just begun thinking over my day when it all came flashing back, and I could feel the blood rush to my face. I had done it again—I had said something ridiculous, as if flaunting my stupidity in public...
Sometimes it seems as if God ignores us. As if our pleading and prayers mean nothing. As if the sleepless nights don’t count and our tears are lost in a pool of a million others. Three months ago I was there, feeling ignored by God. Trixie was a big, black and grey scruffy mixed breed. She was loyal to a fault (taking after the sheepdog in her, no doubt). You would pet her and she would burrow...
Three months ago I deleted my Instagram account. It seems like a simple feat in the scheme of things, but for me, it was a horribly difficult task. You see, I loved Instagram. In fact, I obsessed over Instagram. The artsy-ness, the photography, the fashion, the biblical voices. I loved Instagram so much that it began to grip my heart. It began to strangle my relationships. It became my...
You know those days when everything seems a little too messy? When everything you touch seems to explode? When you catch a glimpse of your reflection and can’t help but cry inside? When it seems like you failed yet another day? Maybe for you, a day like that comes around now and then. But if you’re anything like me, maybe that day seems like every day. We all have moments when we feel worthless...
We see it all over the internet. “OMG! So cute!” “OMG! I cannot wait!” “OMG! Seriously?!” We picture 13-year-old girls texting friends, pink polished nails, skinny jeans, messy top knots. We think “total millennial!” We roll our eyes and laugh and talk in that annoying voice where everything ends in a question, “OMG?! Like totally?!” We...
It’s the kind of wonder Lucy Pevensie experienced when she first stepped out of the moth ball-infused wardrobe into the wintery magic of Narnia. It’s the kind of wonder movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and books like “A Christmas Carol” are made of. It’s the kind where angelic hosts light up the night and lowly, dirty shepherds kneel in the presence of a King. Wonder is what Christmas is made...
I am a perfectionist. I like presenting my life as a nice, clean, pretty package for all the world to ooh and ah over. I like my Facebook profile to coordinate. If I don’t get one hundred percent on a test I feel as if I’ve failed- even if I get 95%. If I stutter over my words in public, I am left feeling ridiculous for the rest of the day. I hate it when my struggles are exposed. When my life...
rebelling against low expectations
