rebelling against low expectations
As I sit down to write, I often forget that my words are not my own. There are many times when I forget that I must seek the Lord and ask him for guidance when I relay my thoughts into words. I often forget that the Lord deserves to be extolled through the words that I write. Words have the ability to either destroy or to build up, and this is a responsibility that I cannot carry alone. Like many...
When COVID-19 struck and forced everyone to be quarantined in their homes, I, like most young people undoubtedly, began to panic and grow anxious about what I was going to do about school, extracurricular activities, and much more. I couldn’t do the activities I wanted to do out of fear of what could happen. But more than just hindering my daily activities, I also let my fear stop me from seeking...
You know what is one of the worst cliche sayings ever? “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I’m not one for cliche sayings to begin with, but that one has never sat quite right with me. I’ve always felt like it was a lie; a saying to give you false hope in the midst of your suffering; something to slap on the walls of a classroom to give half-hearted encouragement to its readers. After...
Do you always find it easy to read the Bible? Do you constantly burn with a deep passion for God’s Word? If you honestly couldn’t answer yes to those questions, maybe these will resonate more. Do you struggle to meditate on God’s Word? Do you get distracted when you sit down to read? Do you long to delight in God? Yes? I know, me too. Too often our pursuit of God is so weak. We struggle with half...
Last year was an interesting year, wasn’t it? I remember doing our Drama Camp week the first week of March. At that time, I had only heard about the two COVID cases in California. Then, a couple weeks later, we were in a national quarantine. I’ll be honest. At first, I enjoyed staying home. I had a lot more time to write—and more free time in general without having to go anywhere. But after the...
Editor’s note: Emily Smucker is a staff writer for TheReb and has recently released a memoir, from which this moving story is an excerpt. We’ll let her explain it… Two years ago, I set off on a year-long road trip around the USA, where I planned to live in a different community every single month and support myself by writing. Nothing quite went like I expected it to, and I ended up writing...
“When’s the next election?” I asked my Mom excitedly at the beginning of this year. I’m seventeen years old, and since I’m a minor, I can’t vote. I was disappointed to hear that the next election was this year, five months before my birthday. Understanding that this is an important election, I wish I could voice my opinion by placing my vote in the ballot box. But I’ll have to wait four more...
A storm is both a wonderful and terrifying thing. There’s nothing as humbling as being surrounded by walls of unrelenting rain and roaring thunder. But with the humbling comes fear too, even if we try to hide it. As a storm rages, our imaginations start a coup d’état in our brains, making reason fall from its throne. The thunder isn’t simply the result of an unstable atmosphere, it’s the sound of...
Prayer is one of the key foundations of faith. Much of our faith, as Christians, hinges upon it, and without it, we are rendered completely unable to grow in relationship with Christ. A Christian’s spiritual walk involves prayer from the beginning to the end. From praying to first accept Christ to praying our last words on our deathbed, prayer is deeply rooted within the life of every...
By whom was I created? What is the purpose of life? Is there an afterlife and if so, where will I spend it? Necessary, difficult, and time-sensitive questions like these are the kinds of questions that are so easily avoided in times of prosperity, peace, and safety. Often, only difficulty can bring them to our mind. God, in His sovereign will, often uses persecution and tribulation to expose and...
rebelling against low expectations
