Friends: The Perfect Gifts From God

by Meg

Living a godly life is not easy in today's world, though I probably donʼt have to tell you that. 

Currently, I work at a Subway in Eagle River, Alaska (weʼre ranked top in the state, you should stop by sometime), and Iʼm surrounded by hundreds of different, diverse people every day.

 

When I lived in Athens, I could walk into the Dollar General and say "hi" to four different people I knew. Especially one of my best friends, who strangely always seemed to be there when I was. Anyway, my point is that the world is full of people and not all of them are Christians. 

Choosing your friends after a transition is vital to your walk with God. You have to choose people who can help you along with your faith, not hinder it. I havenʼt yet been able to find any Christian friends, and I can safely say my walk has become slow and hard because of this.

 

Change weakens a person. When I moved to Athens I was so desperate for friends I reached out to everyone hoping to find my place. Thankfully, God sent the right people to me: good, Christian girls who would influence me in a positive way. 

Here in Alaska the struggle has been harder, but I know God will send someone if Iʼm patient; and wherever you are, He will send friends to you, too. Itʼs not just a comforting thought, itʼs absolutely true.

 

Iʼm going to be completely honest and say that this is something Iʼm still struggling with. Itʼs lonely without friends, and sometimes Skype doesnʼt cut it. I know if youʼre in this situation you know what Iʼm talking about. I came to Alaska with the bitter view that I didnʼt want new friends. My old friends in Illinois were fine. And people, this will make you very, very angry inside.

 

At first itʼs easy. You start school (Iʼm homeschooled), you get a job, you meet some nice people (not necessarily your friends), you settle in, youʼre actually starting to smile at life again. Then a month or two goes by and your old friends (who youʼve been conversing with at length so far) start their school and you see on Facebook theyʼve been hanging out. Jealousy creeps in, but thereʼs nothing you can do about it. You want to hang out with friends, but only those friends. Not new ones.

 

The hole deepens when you realize that the rest of your family is meeting people and making friends. Personally, to combat this chasm, I got a dog. Her name is Zeva, and sheʼs a cutie! Sheʼs smart, fun, and happy...but she canʼt talk. She canʼt go grab ice cream. She can have a sleepover, but she keeps licking me and chewing on my shoes.

 

What Iʼm trying to say is you have to get out there. GO to youth group at church. If you donʼt like your youth group, find another one. If youʼre homeschooled, FIND that homeschool home group. Theyʼre really out there. If you go to school, JOIN that club that looks interesting. And above all, BE YOURSELF. 

God made you perfect just the way you are, and Heʼll send friends who think that about you. The journey into the hole of no-friend-ness (yeah I couldnʼt think of a better name) is dark and lonely. You have to climb out.

The Real Truth

By Cece

     Real and true are words I never hear any more. 
     Now girls are all about conforming to society, trying to make friends, landing the cutest boy and doing whatever they can to be noticed. 
     But honestly going through all the trouble doesn’t guarantee happiness or perfection. All you are really doing is admitting that you are willing to change everything about yourself just to gain acceptance. 
      All through junior high school I was what I considered to be a wallflower. People didn’t really notice me. I was invisible to everyone — the bookworm who never said much to anyone.
     But the thing was…that wasn't who I wanted to be. I dreamed of being the center of attention. I wanted to be different, surprising. 
     I felt as if I was trapped in a box, stuck with the image everyone wanted me to be. Even though I wanted to change, to be defined by me, I didn’t try. I thought no one would accept the new me, so I stayed unhappy and miserable. 
     Little did I know that changing the minds of others wouldn’t be as hard as I imagined. I decided to actually try with my appearance, dressing how I wanted to and taking pride in myself. 
     Once I looked the part, I decided to "act" the part. Instead of taking shelter in my fantasy world of literature, I ventured out of my comfort zone and got involved in debates, conversations, and clubs. I didn’t let the opinion of others influence my decisions anymore. 
     Want to know the real truth about breaking away from the crowd and doing your own thing? It just takes determination and confidence to be who you are. No matter what you want to be or do, you have the power to overcome the status quo.

Baggage

Emotions are a huge part of being a teenager. During our adolescent years, emotions begin to fluctuate and, for some of us, emotions completely take over.

 

Itʼs easy to deal with positive emotions, like happiness and joy, but the negative emotions arenʼt so simple. Itʼs not easy to get rid of anger, hurt and frustration. The important thing is that itʼs possible to move past them, with Godʼs help. If we shove these emotions down and donʼt deal with them, they become baggage.

Baggage isnʼt fun. Iʼve dealt with baggage that accumulated over my transitions. The little things add up. I had thoughts like, I donʼt want to move...why do my parents think this is best? and Wow, all my old friends have moved on without me. Now Iʼm all alone. These were my emotions talking, but I didnʼt share them with anyone. I shoved them down inside.

 

I felt like it would be bothersome if I tried to talk to my parents or a friend about my feelings. Well, I was wrong, and my baggage got heavier until I could no longer move.

 

I guess the moral of the story is that when life gives you emotions, make an effort to deal with them, whether itʼs internally (with God), or externally (with a family member or friend). Donʼt complain over and over to yourself, because thatʼs not going to help. Moving is a really hard thing...one of the hardest things to deal with in a lifetime, and itʼs not good to isolate yourself.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and He made a way for us to give up our bad emotions and baggage to Him. Heʼs waiting with open arms. He wants our baggage. Surprisingly, itʼs not pleasant to give our baggage to Him, but after itʼs gone, thatʼs when the good feelings start to return. Start now, say a prayer, and ask God to help. Heʼs always there.

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” ~Philippians 4:6 

The Beginning

By Meg

Okay, I love telling this story.

On my first day of seventh grade, I walked into Athens High School more confident than Iʼd ever been in my life. It seems strange thatʼd Iʼd feel this way, but all my life leading up to that point Iʼd been unconsciously preparing myself for that moment.

I went into the multipurpose room off the high school hallway and walked over to where my new class was sitting. All of a sudden a boy (whose name I will not disclose) yelled over at me, “Hey, are you new?”

Of course I answered, “Yep, sure am. My nameʼs Meg.”

I will always remember that boy as the first one ever to talk to me at Athens Junior/Senior High School. Of course, for the first two weeks of school he thought my name was May, but itʼs whatever.

Athens High School was good for me. Thereʼs no question I have made lasting friendships there, and it felt amazing to have God work through me in others' lives, and to feel God working inside me through the people at Athens. My family found an amazing church, and we settled down on a 5-acre patch of heaven. I buried my fears and sadness about the move until those feelings were gone.

Unfortunately, the pain returned four years after we moved to Illinois. My dad took a job in Anchorage, Alaska, and we moved back.

Going through a transition takes something out of you. After moving away from all my amazing friends in Illinois, I feel completely lost. This struggle isnʼt just something that happened a long time ago that I can talk about easily; this is something thatʼs happening right now. And if you're reading this blog, itʼs probably happening to you, too.

The thing is, when God throws you a curveball, you can either stand there and let it hit you in the face, or you can catch it. Iʼm going to be completely honest. I let the ball hit me in the face. And right now, Iʼm trying to chase it down.

The first transition brought me closer to God. I felt like I was making a difference in Athens for other people, but here in Chugiak, Alaska, I feel totally separated from everyone and everything. Including God.

Now, Iʼm not here to complain. Itʼs the last thing I want to do. I just want you to know Iʼm not an expert on transitions. Iʼm still learning even now. Let me tell you this: Iʼve come to realize that sometimes what we feel isnʼt what is true. God is here with me, and God is there with you. Sitting next to you. Right now. All you and I have to do is go to Him, and He will give us rest.

Make an effort to like the new place God has put you. Who knows, He might surprise you. :)