I have been there.

The teenage years when you begin to realize how intelligent you are and how much potential you have;
you realize that you are a physical beauty to behold, that you are special to God and deeply loved by Him.

There is a gentle swag and rhythmic sway to your steps.
You become conscious of who you are, what you do and how you speak.
You say to yourself, confidently,

“this is who I was born to be!”

I have been there….

And then, all of a sudden, you encounter your peers and a new ‘truth’ hits you – you are not the smartest, the coolest or the prettiest. The swag in your steps change;
you become unusually melancholic because you cannot fit in;
or annoyingly sanguine becasue you want to fit in.
You are no longer sure of how to navigate through life anymore. All you desire at that time is to fit your clueless self into a personality-perfect hole.

I’ve been there…

And then, suddenly, you have another encounter and it hits you differently –

“I can do better than this! I am more than this! I can do this!”

You pick yourself up and you start the journey again. This time, the road of life isn’t crooked anymore. It appears straight. You keep walking and every step records progress; every step is like a giant leap.

“Finally, I have figured it out. I know where I’m going. I will get there!”

I’ve been there…

And then, you meet another road-block. This time, you are not trying to fit in anymore.
You are struggling to stand out but the voices around you won’t let you be great! They are so loud;
loud enough to drown the former voices you heard.
You are in a confused state. You can see the paths ahead of you but you are afraid to walk through them becasue of that fear-filled thought –

“what if I fail? What if I fall?”

I’ve been there…

And then, slowly, you see some ray of light again. One good head finds you; then another, and gradually you are in the right company –
the company of open-minded, non-judgmental winners!
Healthy thinkers!
Positive talkers!
Happy humans!

And then;

There is some good twist in your story;
a smile on your face;
a dance on you feet;
some warmth in your demeanor.

I have been there…

That is why I have chosen never to give up because I know that there will always be a way out, if I never give up.

I have chosen never to give up because I know that there is a Silent Companion,
whose presence shields and protects me
so that when I bend, I don’t break;
when I slip, I don’t fall;
when I bow, I don’t die.

He is always there.

His name is Jesus Christ.