PUBLISHER’S Corner
What would you say to your teen self ?
Keeping this in mind, I knew that whatever By Sandy Jones I would tell my teenage self it had to be someDo you ever feel that life is just plain confusing? thing I could relate to and would carry into the Yep. Me too! future. Something that would impact my whole For instance I’m scrolling through social media; life, and yet something I wouldn’t blow off. it’s the first of the month, and people have bills The youngest of six kids, I was perhaps an due so they seem to be selling everything. I scroll “oops” – I mean, who has five kids in a 12past a pair of super cute jeans. The description year timespan and then has No. 6 five years says “size 26.” I openly admit that I’m a grandlater? TMI? Perhaps. Please forgive me if it is, ma, and am rather old-school, although I do try but I share this to explain that although I had to keep up on current trends so I don’t embarrass wonderful parents and a beautiful, very large my kids and grandkids too badly, but trust me family, I struggled with a fear of abandonment. these jeans are tiny – they don’t look like a “size Our mother was ill when I was born, so my 26” from my era. older siblings were great to pitch in and help Scrolling further I find a cute pair of shoes. with their baby sister. Mom got better; however, You know, the kind nurses and hair dressers wear. Sandy Jones the imprint was already there – I viewed my Practical, and yet still stylin’ it. Size 32; another siblings as my caretakers, and as they got marsimilar pair size 41. Wait…what? I’m confused. I’m a 6½ wide. ried and moved away one by one, my child-brain registered it How does that translate? I scroll a bit further and see a meme our friend Gary posted. It as abandonment. I remember as a child worrying that my mom might actusaid, “What would you like to tell your teenage self ?” ally leave me too. Silly I know, but a true childhood concern For some reason that stuck with me, and as I scrolled on, then nonetheless. went about my day, I thought about it more and more. What Back to the question, and ultimately my answer. I know we would I like to tell my teenage self ? all have our childhood scars; they’re just different. When my Without whining about my own personal insecurities let’s just mother passed away 14 years ago, she was one of my best say I’ll admit to having some. I think we all do, just in different friends and we were blessed to have her and Dad living right areas. Some of mine often cause me to doubt my self-worth. It’s next door. an area I believe we all suffer with in one form or another, if What would teenage Sandy listen to? I mean really listen to? we’re honest about it, so it’s an easy area for the enemy to attack. What could or would change the course of her life? And then He tells us we’re all alone, we’re unworthy, nobody cares. The it came to me… list goes on and on. ‘That God in heaven really does see you. That He really does So as I spent time reflecting on the question of what would I care about you. That He really does hear your prayers, and like to tell my teenage self, I also recalled many adults who fed actually wants to hear from you. That He has a future calling great words of wisdom into my life, much of which I totally ignored, telling myself I was different or they just didn’t get it, that for your life – something bigger than you might ever imagine – and that He would give you the right gifts at the perfect time. they didn’t understand.
Greenleaf Friends Academy
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4 March / April 2021 | Christian Living
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