12 November 2011

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me

A friend posted on Facebook several weeks back, asking for people's input on "things we wish someone had told us when we were in high school", as she'd been asked to speak at a high school retreat and wanted to make the message as meaningful and practical as possible. I gave her some input, and didn't think much about it for a while, but then I thought more about it tonight. Here are a few things that I wish I'd known (or just understood better) when I was in high school.
  • Embrace being a late bloomer. Early bloomers fade fast.
  • Respect and obey your parents. It's not just a pragmatically good idea; it's commanded by God, who doesn't take it lightly. Look at Romans 1:28-32 and notice that disobedience to parents is grouped with "every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity".
  • Things get better. College is a huge step up from high school.
  • Stand up for people, especially underdogs.
  • Learn to be a good follower, so that in the future, you can be a good leader.
  • Know what it means to really be a leader. Leadership isn't a popularity contest; it's a series of decisions founded in integrity.
  • Pray daily. Petition the Lord for many good things that He lays on your heart, but don't forget to also ask Him to (1) ready you for His service and (2) reveal step by step the path He has laid out for you.
  • You are braver, smarter, and more capable than you realize.

3 comments:

Debbie said...

Or like I always tell junior highers, it is not about big boobs.

That is a good list you made.

Debbie said...

This got me thinking : ) I think that one about being popular does not mean you are a leader is major. They need to teach that in seminary to youth pastors. In the 12 years I did youth ministry, charismatic popular kids being put in leadership roles was the most hurtful move I saw, both to those kids and to the others who knew the difference.

Kiti said...

I actually got most of this stuff even when I was in high school, so I guess these are things that I wish OTHER people had realized when in high school. But now that I think of it, going through high school is (in our culture) part of the process of maturation that allows people to LEARN these things. Some things have to be learned through experience.