Sunday, May 23, 2010

This Changes Everything.

This is a time of year that many of us will experience growing up. Be it from Sunday School or High School, either is a big deal.

At this time, many of Bethel's sixth graders will experience something higher and more mature, the youth group, as they transition into junior high. This is a huge difference. If you are headed for youth or the Edge or something you've never tried before, you may be trying to figure out where you'll go, or if you'll stay where you are. This changes everything.

Why does it have to change EVERYthing? Can't your life stay the same for a moment in time? Well, it can't. Here's a short story.

I happen to know a girl at church (not saying names!) who has everything against transitioning into the youth group. She is nearly fifteen and still won't leave Missionettes. (M-Pact, Bethel Girls Ministries, whatever you wanna call it.) She says that youth is bad and all, but she really shouldn't be talking--- not ONCE has she been to ThExperience. This is someone who hates change.

It's okay to be slow when it comes to change, but after awhile, it turns into shutting yourself off to things you just might have fun doing. Louise* (not her name) just might've had fun in Youth, but she keeps shutting herself off to all the fun youth events and activities that she just might enjoy. But you don't have to be like that.

This reminds me of when I was just four years old, turning effortless cartwheels in the sun and effortless back handsprings on the trampoline. But I told myself that I'd never try gymnastics because the coaches were mean and the gymnasts were snobby. Had I not been so resistant to change, I might have been the Olympic gymnast I always wanted to be.

When you shut yourself off to even one thing, you're shutting yourself off to countless other things that come with that one thing. I was an awesome tumbler until the time I attempted a back tuck by myself without a spot and landed on my neck with all the weight of my body. Had been a gymnast, I would've known better than to do it without a spot, or maybe would've already been able to do it.

This changes everything because unless you try new things, nothing spectacular will ever happen to you. Here's another story:

When I was younger, I loved watching people sing. I would hear about all these Fine Arts competitions our church went to and about all these singers going to Nationals. "Wow!" I would think. I always wanted to sing, but... NO BUTS!

Every time Fun Arts was announced, I said, "I'm gonna sing for one of my categories." Just in time for Fun Arts, I pulled the idea out of my head.

But this Fun Arts, I could not hold back. I held back in 2007. I held back in 2008. There were no Fun Arts in 2009. I knew this was my last chance before Fine Arts, so I finally FORCED myself to sing it. "Hope," I told myself, "You're gonna sing, and I mean it!"

And I sang it yesterday! Singing is not hard--- at all! Once you try, you'll be like, Oh my gosh! I worried THAT long about a single solo? I'm trying this again!

I held back for quite some time. But in the end, I found that I really like singing AND competing! You'll see me at Fine Arts, but will you see me at nationals...

No comments:

Post a Comment

All comments appreciated, keep them appropriate, however. Remember, this blog's audience is ages 12+, so be aware of who might be reading.