Tag: Passion

To The Indifferent American Teen

An open letter to GenZers.

            Dear Indifferent American Teen,

            Struggling to get up. Lacking motivation. Scrolling for hours. Feeling like a failure. Looking to your elders. Regretting your short life. You fight a battle too. I feel you.

            You Indifferent American Teen.

            You say “I don’t care”. Your shrug and your smirk confirm it.

            But your “I don’t cares” are your cries for help. Your cries tell me that you do care.

            You care until your insides ache and you can barely swallow your pride. You care until your face blemishes and your eyes are forced to turn aside. You care and you care and you care until all you care about is yourself. And that kills you the most.

            Indifference is the mask you have been taught to wear. Only this type of mask doesn’t protect you. It pulls you back. It holds you captive. You are stuck in a web of lies.

            I think you care. People say you don’t, but I know you. I am you. I feel you.

            I think you care the most.

            Every time your heart breaks, you must evaluate how someone will react. Will you lose a friend? Will you be cancelled? Will life ever be the same?

            Every time a new issue pops up, it feels too far away to be real. Yet you don’t want to be left behind. But grasping in the dark for something steady to support you is an endless battle that will tear you apart until you become as empty as your spirit after a tough night.

            You are in a sea of emotions. You are drowning and the only thing you can use as a lifesaver is indifference.

            Indifference makes you sarcastic and pathetic. Indifference makes you hard and distant. Indifference makes you laugh when you know it stings the soul of a fellow human being who stares at you until the laughter dissolves into a tidal wave of tears.

            Indifference is the deepest feeling of all.

            You have been hurt. Your wounds are deep. But you can’t blame a war or a movement or a lack of knowledge. Instead, you blame yourself.

            But you don’t want to be weak. You are supposed to be strong. Strong and independent. Proving your worth. That’s who you are. You can’t change. That’s what they say, anyway.

            Even though you’re young with a full life ahead of you. Even though you’re bright and you aren’t your parents. Even though you’re special and precious and loved. Even though all these things…who are you?

            I’m sitting beside you. I won’t tell you to cry or to feel or to trust me. Trust, that’s something in short supply. What I’ll tell you is this: You aren’t alone. Staring out at the starry night sky, there is someone–thousands of someones–who are just like you. And they don’t know who that person is either.

            I don’t know you. Maybe you don’t want me to. Maybe the only thing keeping you going is keeping your identity a mystery. All yours, no one else’s.

            Sorry to burst your bubble, but someone does know you. Someone cares about you. That Someone wants you. Needs you. Trusts you. Values you.

            That Someone will love you the way your heart longs to be loved as your eyes linger a little too long on the one that broke your heart. It wasn’t their love that you needed. It was Someone’s.

            I’ll venture to say, it was God’s.

            So when you feel indifferent, tell Someone that. Tell Him and wait. You might just get a feeling.

            I know I did.

            Sincerely,

            Your Fellow American Teen, who isn’t so indifferent anymore

Resting to Rise

Are you making time for rest in your life?

If you’ve ever made bread before, you know the importance of yeast and resting time. Allowing the dough to rise for a set period of time seems like the easiest part of the baking process, but for an impatient baker like me, it’s the most difficult.

And, as you may have already guessed, I’ve tried avoiding this key step. And, without fail, skipping this seemingly mundane, “unnecessary” step causes my bread to end up flat and dense, pretty much inedible. Once I finally allowed for a proper resting time, I certainly saw the difference. With all the same ingredients, my bread transformed into a fluffy, soft, and flavorful delight that was praised rather than hesitantly bitten into.

When we allow our dough to rest, we are preparing it for the process of rising and becoming what it’s meant to be. And when we allow ourselves to rest, we are preparing ourselves for the process of becoming who we’re meant to be too.

We are often shamed for taking the time to rest. But the truth is, without rest, we don’t have the energy or motivation to keep going.

Now, perhaps the reason why rest has been dubbed “lazy” or “unproductive” is because we don’t fully understand what rest looks like.

Rest isn’t putting off work or avoiding certain tasks. It doesn’t mean scrolling on our phones or falling down the rabbit hole of aimless Google searches. Rest isn’t an excuse to not follow through with our promises or mooch off of others’ hard work.

Truly wonderful, life-giving rest comes from three main components:

Listening to your body

This means getting extra sleep when you feel fatigued or eating what makes you feel nourished and energetic. Listening to your body can also mean listening to your feelings and releasing what you’ve been bottling up inside. You aren’t ignoring your body’s cries for help, but instead expressing yourself and taking care of yourself in the ways you need.

Going on REtreats

You don’t have to go far to be on a retreat, but you certainly can if that’s what refreshes you. The simple act of stepping away from your day-to-day life and taking time to be in the presence of God can give you a new perspective on life. Being intentional about your time and taking these necessary breaks will help you see things on a broader scale and have more appreciation.

Doing what you love

Taking the time to pursue a hobby or passion, even if it’s for a few minutes a day or only on the weekends, will remind you what’s wonderful about life. These activities can remind you that you are made for more than just creating or following instructions. You are made to explore and discover all that God has for you. You are made to share your talents and passions with the world!

If you want to rise up into who you are meant to be, the first step is resting. Rest in the Lord. Rest in God’s promises for you. Rest in the fact that you are exactly where you are meant to be; there is no room for comparison here, only hope for the future.

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

2 Thessalonians 1:3