rebelling against low expectations
“Mom, about my birthday…” I start. “No need to worry!” she replies. “Your father and I have something special in mind.” “Um…” I think back to my last surprise birthday the two of them planned. It involved a GPS which thought we were in the middle of Afghanistan (no kidding) and climbing 45 degree inclines in 90 degree weather (in “autumn”). She must sense my concern, because her expression...
Christmas: The time of year when we release our inner child. The vibrantly wrapped presents under the tree, the crooning music, and the sparkling lights on every corner tug our hearts back to a time of foggy memories and free spirits. We can be excited. We can be spontaneous. We can be little kids. And then the colorful paper is torn off and shoved in the trash, the music fades away, and the...
Have you ever tried to use worn-out crutches, with the metal sticking through the rubber feet, on a dock or a boardwalk? You have to go slow and purposefully place the crutches in the middle of each board, watching every single step. The second you look up, your crutch lodges in a crack. That is the position I was in this past summer, both literally and figuratively. I was entering my senior year...
Someone likes feeling awkward. I’m sure, in a world of 6.6 (as of 2008) billion people, someone must like it. That someone isn’t me. Well, wasn’t. I still don’t like it, to be sure, but I’ve gotten (slightly) better at handling it. Previously, I’d invent an excuse to walk away, turn red in the face, or simply sit there and be awkward. *crickets* I still do those things. Hopefully less often...
No one likes to fail. I certainly don’t. It doesn’t matter if it’s losing a soccer match, failing to raise enough money for a mission trip, or an F (or a C, if you’re that sort of student) on a test: failure is embarrassing and can make you feel like you wasted your time. But are these responses biblical? In the dictionary, failure is described as “being unsuccessful in achieving one’s goal.” If...
rebelling against low expectations
