Ten Reasons

I’m going to share with you something written on Facebook by one of our young women at our church. She is a freshman in high school and has given me permission to use what she wrote.
I’m sharing this because all too often we look at teenagers as lazy, insolent, undisciplined, uncaring, and selfish. We know they don’t have a clue how real life is lived and have had everything handed to them on a platter. We abhor their driving habits, knowing they are out to intentionally kill and maim. We see them sag in some places and show too much everywhere. We think all they do is thumb texts all day and hook up at night. They eat too much, don’t eat vegetables, live in garbage dump rooms, and leave the bathroom such that we have to don gloves and a mask to enter.
We miss the reality…a lot. Listen to what she has to say about her day. (By the way, I know both this young woman as well as her friend Carrie (name changed), who she mentions in her writing.)


Not a very good day (or week)...at all. But here are ten reasons I'm smiling and thanking God for the blessed life I have:

1) Spanish, Literature, Music Appreciation, and Math finals are DONE. Only the first three went well though ;)

2) I got a Steelers Terrible Towel today. This alone gave me hope that maybe my week will end better than it started.

3) Yesterday I got to volunteer at Botanica!

4) After I volunteered, my girl scouts and I got to see Botanica's lights for free then grabbed some ice cream at Braums! Yum

5) I talked to one of my ex best friends earlier this week and we agreed to be friends again and out the past behind us. It feels good not to have so much tension!

6) Music. It has kept me awake when I started falling asleep doing homework

7) Kids. They make me smile in every way possible

8) My bestest friend ever (Carrie Austin) came to Wichita this past weekend!!

9) Carrie gave me "12 days before Christmas presents", so each day I open a thoughtful gift and a handwritten note reminding me why I love her and why we are best friends! ♥ you sister!

10) And my final reason I am smiling is because I know all of these things couldn't have been possible without my ever forgiving God. Thank you, God for my wonderful Terrible Towel.

Wisdom beyond her years, and far beyond anything most people may think in general about teenagers today. I’m tearing up as I write this hoping that some day I will have the maturity to write ten reasons why I should smile and thank God for the blessed life I have, even in the face of a not very good day.