By Sarah B.
Many teenagers try to be different by not doing what is “normal.” It turns out that there are a lot of people trying to be different though, and this makes a big group of people doing the opposite of what is popular, thus creating a new popular. Prep to goth to hippie to jock to brainiac. Once again they become the same. Any identity you claim as your own is already that of someone else. Unless…unless you just make the decision to be yourself. Instead of looking around to find something to become, why not look within and express the personality and talents you have waiting?
It is kind of like a story once told to me, that I will slightly change for the sake of this article and my own creative interests.
There was a man who died of old age. He was admitted into Heaven and taken by the arm byan angel to show him around. After commenting on the fluffiness of the clouds and the neverending vat of homemade chocolate chip cookies, the angel took the new soul to a large warehouse. Its dark colors looked very out of place against the pastel landscape. Inside the large creaking doors were rows and rows of boxes. In front of each box was a name written carefully with a black pen. The angel and the soul stopped at the box with the name, “Michael J. Smith.” The soul’s eyes opened with recognition,
“That’s me!”
“Yes it is,” answered the angel, “In this box is every blessing you never took advantage of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Matthew 7:7 says ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you. God wanted to give you so many blessings during your life, he was just waiting for you to ask.”
The angel reached over and pulled open the box.
The soul was immersed in uplifting thoughts and feelings. He felt safe and happy. Never did he want to leave this place of serenity.
The angel reached over and closed the box.“What you felt is not even a fraction of what God offers you every day.”
This is a hopeful story. The Being who wants me to be happy and successful the most in the world is just waiting to help me out. All I have to do is ask.
My friend at home once wrote that she thought of the sign of a cross as a number to dial to God before speaking to him. She believed
that once she was dead, it would no longer be necessary to dial the number because she would be able to speak to Him directly.
More times than not for me, talking to God feels like a one way call. When I pray or meditate, I usually get a feeling of calm. I want more than that though. I want a conversation in words I can easily understand.
Then I think about that though, and realize that even if God himself gave me a suggestion that would change my life for the better, but would require me to get me out of my comfort zone, I do not know if I would follow through.
I think I choose not to have a clear relationship with my higher power so that the right way to live is not quite so clear to me, and I can continue to self-will situations without feeling guilty.
I hurt our relationship quite often, but I feel unsatisfied with the person I am. I judge my appearance and my thoughts. I set myself higher standards than I can achieve at the moment. I do not accept myself as I am and I am arrogant enough to think that if I could create me, I would be able to do so better than God.
I have felt times of serenity with myself. Through prayer and acceptance this comes to me. I guess the bottom line is everything seems better when God and I are in agreement.
