For eight years I was a pastor to middle school students and now I am a volunteer in our middle school ministry. I love middle schoolers. Most people don't really believe much in middle school aged people. They think they are just a bunch of ADHD crazy people with little ability to do much of anything than break stuff. I believe in them. I know how hard it is to go through all the changes they go through. I know how hard it is to manage hormones, body changes, voice changes, concrete to abstract thinking, etc. With all of those things going on, it can be difficult to navigate the middle school waters.
What if we all decided we would do something to help middle schoolers on their journey. Volunteering in a church or an athletic program or music program of after school program. What if we became mentors. What if we just took some time to get to know some middle schoolers so they would have someone that would give them words of wisdom and direction in their lives. Wouldn't that be cool? Imagine if you had people like that in your life when you were a middle schooler. How would that have changed things for you?
If you could write a letter to yourself in middle school, what would you say? What words of wisdom would you tell yourself? Knowing what you know now. There is a country song that actually talks about this, but I am not going to post it, as it is not completely appropriate for all listening audiences.
Some things I might say to myself:
* Bullies have pain and often bully as a result of their pain.
* Don't say mean things. It does nothing but tear down. Nothing good comes out of it. All it does is tear down and cause you to have regret.
* Be careful with what you say. Those words stick with you for a long time. There are some things people will say to you (kind and unkind) that you will remember for the rest of your life. Be the one who says kind things that others remember for the rest of their lives.
* Don't pass those books about people around. Take them and throw them away. When someone reads what others have said anonymously about them, it could really ruin them.
* Don't worry about your math teacher. Occasionally you will have teachers who are not nice. There are plenty of years left to learn math from teachers who care.He probably leads out of his own pain too.
* You are a kind person.
* Be a good friend. The kind of friend you want others to be to you, even if they are not that way always.
* It's OK to be pure. Even if others make fun of you for it. They are jealous that they didn't wait. You will see how worth it is that you waited!
* Don't worry. Your heart will heal and the most amazing girl you will ever meet is yet to come. And MAN, is she worth it. She is kind and generous and loving and has a great laugh and you will have tons of fun together and you will have amazing kids. Oh, she is sooooo worth the wait!
* Live all out in everything you do.
* Love Jesus big!
What would you say?
What would you say to yourself today?
What if we all decided we would do something to help middle schoolers on their journey. Volunteering in a church or an athletic program or music program of after school program. What if we became mentors. What if we just took some time to get to know some middle schoolers so they would have someone that would give them words of wisdom and direction in their lives. Wouldn't that be cool? Imagine if you had people like that in your life when you were a middle schooler. How would that have changed things for you?
If you could write a letter to yourself in middle school, what would you say? What words of wisdom would you tell yourself? Knowing what you know now. There is a country song that actually talks about this, but I am not going to post it, as it is not completely appropriate for all listening audiences.
Some things I might say to myself:
* Bullies have pain and often bully as a result of their pain.
* Don't say mean things. It does nothing but tear down. Nothing good comes out of it. All it does is tear down and cause you to have regret.
* Be careful with what you say. Those words stick with you for a long time. There are some things people will say to you (kind and unkind) that you will remember for the rest of your life. Be the one who says kind things that others remember for the rest of their lives.
* Don't pass those books about people around. Take them and throw them away. When someone reads what others have said anonymously about them, it could really ruin them.
* Don't worry about your math teacher. Occasionally you will have teachers who are not nice. There are plenty of years left to learn math from teachers who care.He probably leads out of his own pain too.
* You are a kind person.
* Be a good friend. The kind of friend you want others to be to you, even if they are not that way always.
* It's OK to be pure. Even if others make fun of you for it. They are jealous that they didn't wait. You will see how worth it is that you waited!
* Don't worry. Your heart will heal and the most amazing girl you will ever meet is yet to come. And MAN, is she worth it. She is kind and generous and loving and has a great laugh and you will have tons of fun together and you will have amazing kids. Oh, she is sooooo worth the wait!
* Live all out in everything you do.
* Love Jesus big!
What would you say?
What would you say to yourself today?
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