[Key Word: PAIN]

What doesn’t kill you. . .

. . .only scars you.

The question is: What are you going to do with those scars?

Lots of people sweep it under the carpet and move on with life- Even though it’s hanging over them like a dark cloud. They hide their scars and never show them. To anyone.

Well, news flash everyone has scars. They’re not all the same shape, size, or colour, but everyone has them. Some are deeper than others. Some are older than others.

They all reflect a similar things though.

Pain.

No one gets scars without pain. If you have painless scars, well. . .that would be an interesting story to tell.

Scars, physical or metaphorical, aren’t the prettiest of things. And getting them certainly isn’t.

But let me ask you a question.

What if all the tears that soaked your pillow, what if all the band-aids you used to cover the injuries, what if all the words that tore you down, what if all that pain was used to help one person.

Just one person.

Some boy or girl five years from now who’s going through the same thing you’re going through. Some person who’s hurting and thinks no one understands them. A human being.

Just one person.

What if everything you’re going through, everything you’ve been through, everything you will go through helps one person.

Just one person.

Someone who won’t have to suffer what you’ve gone through. Someone who won’t be alone in their pain. Someone out there eventually.

Will it all be worth it?

[Key Word: FALL]

You think you got this. Your hand grips the rock firmly, and you look around for another foothold.

You’re going to conquer this climb.

You reach higher and pull yourself up several inches. Your left leg dangles, and you hastily search for a hold. Unfortunately you don’t “got this”.

Your foot slips.

A replay of just ten minutes earlier flashes through your brain. Your refusal of allowing your buddy to belay you is haunting your mind, and you realise your mistake as you plummet down to the mat.

You should have trusted your friend.

The consequences for falling off a rock face to a mat on the ground, are far less than those of falling off a sheer cliff to jagged rocks below. The worst you can do when landing on your feet is probably roll your ankle. On a cliff, however, you’ll probably be blasted to smithereens (you shall be remembered).

Same with life. 

If you fall in small things, like schoolwork, sports, *actual* work, or minor areas, your consequences will be fairly small. They may not seem small, but they’re nothing that you can’t get through. We have friends and family members to “belay” us while we go up the cliff of physical life.

But there comes a point where the rope isn’t long enough for us to reach any higher. What then? Do we give up, yell “take!” and sit back as we’re lowered back down to rock bottom?

I mean, you might, but I personally enjoy that satisfying feeling of reaching the top.

This is where God steps in even more. He’s been there all along, helping you find each handhold and holding you up when you needed a break. But now He’s even more prominent. You have nowhere else to look.

Unfortunately, this is where most people turn to God- When there’s nowhere else to look. He doesn’t want to be used as a “last resort”, He wants to be your anchorman and guide from day one, holding you steady and calling out a route.

He wants to be the one to catch you when you fall.

I can basically promise you that people will fail you, and people will drop you. It’s just the way of things, though I wish I could change it. People are only human.

But God’s not.

He’ll hold you up if you let Him. No one is easily clipped into a harness against their will. God doesn’t want to force it on you, but take it from me- You want that harness when you’re dangling above jagged rocks.

So clip your harness to the rope, and rest in Him.

[Key Word: BONDS]

Control.

It’s something we all dream of, whether or not we admit to it. There’s something comforting in being able to predict what’s going to happen, or assume the reactions of specific people. 

Sure, we like a couple spontaneous surprises, or impromptu add-ons to our daily routine, but we don’t like when seemingly concrete things turn out differently than we expect it.

Sometimes we try to put ropes and bonds on God. Yes, I did just say that. I’ll be the first to admit that I do this.

Disclaimer- I’m no theology student, I’m just a teenager trying to know God and make Him known.

Sometimes I put bonds like Fear and Pride on God. I try to put Him in the cage of My Control. I pretend to give Him total freedom, when in fact I only want Him to do what I want to be done.

It’s a selfish little paradox, and a hard habit to break.

We only want God when He can help us. It’s easy to cry out to Him when a loved on is sick, or when a major test we haven’t studied for comes up. It’s easy to humble ourselves and beg for help in those times.

But what about the other times?

The times when life is actually going pretty smoothly. The times when you have a decision between two different epic opportunities? The times when you’re bored and have no one to talk to?

That’s usually when we put God back in our little box and tell Him, “I’ve got this under control, You don’t have to worry about it.”

How ridiculous is that? Telling the God of the universe who created all time and space that we “got this”?

That’s like a kindergartener telling his highschool older sister not to worry about her College Algebra assignment- he’s got it. He’ll do all her homework for her, she can go chill with her friends.

That’s like a dog telling it’s master not to bother about supper, he’ll make it for the both of them.

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

– 1 Corinthians 1:25 ESV

You can’t put the supernatural in a box made by a mere mortal. All the human bonds in the world won’t keep Him down. It might in your mind, you might think you’ve repressed God from interfering from your life- 

But is a life without God something you actually want? I for one would much rather have God than the Enemy.

So let God out of your control box. He was never in it in the first place. It was all in your mind, and the sooner you realise that, the better off you’ll be.

I’m not saying this is easy- I know for a fact that it’s not. I certainly have control issues and have tried to box Him in.

Fun fact: It doesn’t work.

[Key Word: PERSPECTIVE]

A camera’s focus makes all the difference in a picture.

The foreground, the background- It determines the subject and the cast. Changing the focus lense just slightly, or even changing to a different lense, can cast an image into a whole new light. Every little aspect of the camera affects the end result.

Not only does the focus matter, but the angle and perspective matters. It’s up to the photographer to pick his or her perspective through which he views the subject. They can make a child seem carefree or sad. It all depends on the perspective they’re trying to portray.

Everyone has a perspective and view on life that affects how they act. Most of these views and perspectives reflect those of society.

The teen years are a negative time in one’s life

This is possibly the most prevalent and relevant view people share. People think teenagers are lazy people who sleep in ‘til noon and constantly complain about working and school, while making everyone else serve them. Why do people think this?

Because we, my dear friends, have succumbed to this concept and embraced it.

So here’s a mindblowing thought for you

What if I told you that you don’t have to be the “social norm”?

That’s right. Just because society has labeled us as rebels and lazy and potatoes, doesn’t mean we have to be any of those! (unless, of course, you love french fries- Then be my guest. . .just be a hardworking french fry, ‘ey?)

I’m not talking about massive differences or changes. Believe me, I understand being tired and busy and feeling lazy. However, did you know that a majority of that is just a mindset and perspective issue?

Try avoiding the words “Tired” or “Busy” or “Stressed” when someone asks how you’re doing. You’ll be surprised at what a difference that makes. Just figuring out a positive mindset is revolutionary.

Your perspective on life will change.

The teen years are a waste of time

Why do people think this? Probably because lots of us spend our days eating food, doing homework, hanging with friends, chilling online, or in general- Wasting our lives away.

We feel like we have eternity ahead of us on this earth.

But should we spend our time lying around and wasting away until college? I believe we can do so much in our teen years. Anything from getting a job that pays for college, to helping minister to those less fortunate than us.

Cherish the time you have now when you have fewer responsibilities and make it your goal to do as much as you can in the few years of this that you have.

Change your perspective, and it will change your world.

What about non-teens?

Of course, faulted stereotypes don’t just circle around teenagers. There are plenty that focus on adults and children.

But the big question is-

Are you going to let them shape you?

Will you succumb to *the norm* or will you take matters into your own hands and *succeed*?

Will you let Christ shape you as an unblemished bit of clay or as a dirtied substance filled with worldly stereotypes?