This past week a person that I once knew committed suicide. He was one of those people that you couldn’t help but stop and admire because of the strength and compassion that he showed towards others. This tragic death made me think about what the teenagers today are learning. I feel like my generation was born into a time where even the strongest struggle to remember that they are important. A time where we throw broken things away because it would be too “hard” to fix them. A time where people are so willing to exchange vicious words with us that we forget that they ever said anything else. But most of all, the teens have grown up with the mentality that they are alone. I’m not even sure why. We just tend to retreat into the safety of our own minds and shut everyone else out, making us completely, utterly and painfully alone. And they don’t know what to do. They don’t know who to turn to because they don’t feel like they have anyone in this world that cares enough to help them. They forget that their parents love them because of the fights. They question their relationships with other people because sometimes, we forget to tell those that we love just how much they mean to us. And they forget that even if they didn’t have one single person in this world, they would have something so much better. God’s love.
For me, it’s scary. It’s scary to know that people my age are turning to other, more harmful alternatives because they forget that they are loved. Because they forget that people are only confined by the walls that they build around themselves.
I’m just going to pretend that more people than my five to ten family members read this blog and hope that I can help a young person through it. Because I’ve been there too. Every day is a struggle for everyone you know in some way or another.. Just because they’re strong doesn’t mean they haven’t been broken.1.) be yourself. People will always have their opinions of you despite who you are and what you are capable of. You can’t let other people define who you are, because it is very, very likely that they are dead wrong. They don’t know how special you are. They obviously don’t see how beautiful you are. They don’t know you. If they did, they wouldn’t be judging you so harshly. You can only put your best foot forward every step of the way and have faith in yourself.
2.) love. Sometimes good things fall apart so that better things can fall together. I know that it’s hard to believe, but chances are that if your mom had married the first boy she ever fell in love with… You wouldn’t be here today. Teenagers today are so ready to grow up and fall in love that we forget all about the benefits of being a teen. You and your boyfriend/ girlfriend breaking up is not the end of the world. I know that you’ve heard this five million times, but have you ever stopped to think about how true that sentence really is? Do yourself a favor (this one mainly goes to the girls.) Stop comparing your love story to those that you see in the movies. They’re written by scriptwriters, yours is written by God.
3.) Stop, take a deep breath, and pray. It’s just a bad day. Or week, or month, or maybe even year, but that doesn’t mean your whole life is going to be bad. You still have a future, and it’s as bright as can be. Having faith in God means having faith in His timing. It may seem like He’s forgotten about you now, but when you look back in a few years you’ll see that the single set of footprints wasn’t you wandering around alone, it was Him carrying you. Whatever it is that’s worrying you right now, forget about it. Take a deep breath, and trust in God.
4.) be inspiring. Be so happy, that when others look at you they become happy too. As cheesy as it may sound, a simple smile can change the outlook of a person’s entire day. We sometimes underestimate the influence of little things simply because we let ourselves think that they’re stupid and completely ignore how they might seem to other people. But do it anyway. Challenge yourself to do an ARK a day. (If you haven’t seen Evan Almighty, that’s an “Act of Random Kindness.”) Spread some warmth and joy in this cold world of ours.
5.) be strong. You were given this life because you are strong enough to handle it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. It is going to be hard. You’ll get discouraged. You’ll get lost. You’re going to wish it would just stop, that you could end it. That something could take the pain out of your day. Don’t quit. Suffer now and spend the rest of your life as a champion. Come on, kid. This is your life. This is your dream. Make the most of it.
Have a good week, my loves.
“You are loved more than you will ever know by someone who died to know you.”
–Romans 5:8
Since this week wasn’t a very photographic post, here’s my valentine, which I mentioned in Week Nine.
Thank you to everyone that follows me here on my blog or on my FaceBook page, you have no idea how much it means to me, and I consider you all my Valentines (: Thank you so much for your dedication.
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