"You're Gonna Miss The Bus!": Why You DON'T Want To Miss The Bus This Year

  

Summer has come and gone, and once again, school is back in session.  While for many this thought is not a pleasant one -- the dread of being held captive under a school-night curfew, spending hours on monstrous piles of homework, up-before-daylight mornings, sweaty gym classes, social drama, etc. -- we tend to miss the opportunities and hidden gifts among the chaos. Read more to see how maybe not missing the bus, is a really good thing!

     Every school has its ups and downs, and most usually the downs seem to outweigh the ups. Why? Because when a down becomes evident, we tend to overreact, and lock our eyes on all the bad in the situation.. Do we ever think to look up? To turn our eyes and ears away from the bad for just one second, and look up to God..? The Bible tells us to give all of our worries and problems to God.

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burdens on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved."

1 Peter 5:7 says, "..casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." 

     I believe that if we look up when we're facing a down, we'll get a better outlook on the situation, and the ups will start to outweigh the downs.

     A few weeks ago, I went to conditioning for volleyball. For those who don't know what that means, its a bunch of high school girls running for an hour to get in shape. I, not being a runner whatsoever, found myself breathing hard, going like 2 mph, and just crying out to Jesus, "Get me through this!".

Psalm 46:1-3 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling."

    
     Every once in a while, I wanted to stop so bad and walk a minute, but every time I did, a girl behind me, or in front (I have no idea how they even knew I was walking), would encourage me to keep going, between breaths. Out of nowhere, girls I didn't even know the names of, would use the little air they had left (we were all breathing like we had bad asthma), to help me get through the down. I was surprised, grateful, and amazed at the kindness and encouragement offered by these girls.

Isaiah 41:10 says, "..fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

     I'm so glad those girls didn't miss conditioning, because even though they probably didn't want to be there anymore than I did, they came, and God used them to inspire me to keep running.

Job 37:5 says, "God thunders wondrously with his voice; He does great things that we cannot comprehend."

    Have you ever been sitting in class with your friends, just trying to get through the school day without making a scene of any sort, and kind of noticed someone just sitting alone, or struggling with their work? Did you ever think that God was calling you to go and be a friend or to be a helping hand? Maybe you will be the up they were needing in the midst of a down.

Galatians 5:13 says, "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

     Being a freshman in high school, and transitioning from a school of less than 200 to a school of more than 300, I can't imagine every day life without the love and guidance that only comes from the Lord above!

     And, sadly, a lot of teenagers face all the confusions and tough situations life throws at them without God. If we miss the bus, we are failing, missing our opportunity to do what we are made solely to do, and that is to glorify God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

 Isaiah 43:7 says, "..everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

     And guys, girls, whoever is reading this -- that is the reason, the motive, the purpose... We cannot let our insecurities, worries, and fears override our passion and duty to serve and glorify the One True King.

     We can't miss the bus. We can't let the grand opportunity to change someone's day, or even life, pass us by. You don't know how many days you have left here on earth. It could be hours, days, years... Only God knows, and its up to us what we do with little time we have in this temporary life. Will we choose to sit around on our butts, or will we take action, and be servants for the Lord and show others His magnificent love through our actions?

     Its up to you. No one else can make that choice for you. If you ignore your alarm in the morning, you're choosing to miss a chance to show someone Jesus. And really, will anything else we do on earth matter when we die and stand before God? We were created solely to bring glory to His name.

     Now, I'm never in a million years going to tell you that everything you do here is pointless, and that its okay to fail school, because its not. Its doing those things, that's a perfect opportunity to fulfill your purpose and give the glory to God. But always remember...

Romans 3:23 says, "..for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.."

     We will fail sometimes. And get confused, be mean, and just be human. Its by asking for forgiveness, falling on our knees before the Lord, and allowing Him to lead us, that we show others His love and power.

     As you go into a new school year, always remember its the little things that make the biggest difference. An encouraging note to a struggling peer, a compliment to a stranger, a giant hug of reassurance, whatever you see fit. Just do it with the love of Jesus, and it makes all the difference.

            Have an awesome school year! Embrace change, make memories, and praise Jesus!