One of the unique aspects of teaching at a small Christian School is that the teachers have a chance to get to know the kids on a deeper level. It is a level that is more than just passing them in a hall. We attend a camp at the beginning of the school year where the teachers and some parents stay in cabins with a group of young people for the week. We spend the week getting to know each other as a school. During camp this year, I had a chance to lodge with the 9th grade girls. They opened my eyes to a whole new perspective.
Some shared deep moments of losing a parent, others shared how their mom has been given a diagnoses that includes a lifetime of illness. Something they all had in common was that they were teens with some heavy pasts and uncertain futures… but they had each other. We stayed awake until 2 am talking, crying, laughing, and encouraging one another. That week, they grew closer together and I had a chance to get to understand why they are the way they are. Their past has formed their now and their now will form their future.
I spent that week, and the months to follow, challenging these girls to be all they can be. One girl in particular has a nack for writing. She thinks deeply and loves just as deep. I encouraged her to write something for my blog without giving her a topic. I see great things ahead in this 15 year old’s life. She sees what many adults can’t see. The beauty of life and the importance of finding puropse for every moment. Here is what she wrote…
The Lighthouse
“People, we are all the same. We are made of cells and DNA that are puzzle pieces to our complex bodies. We all have the same blood and the same desire for fuel. I believe that people are like lighthouses. We are different in the details. Our heights, colors, functions are different. Some lighthouses have different lenses. They have different viewpoints from the top of their tower, but they all are lighthouses.
Some are safe from the harm of the sea, while others are not. Some lighthouses have been moved from their original stance, meanwhile there is a lighthouse surrounded by water, standing proudly through the storms the ocean seems to throw its way. Some lighthouses still warn seamen of the dangers of the coastline. Others teach tourists of their history.
People are the same way. We move for our safety, or we stand strong where our foundation was laid. We all sway in the hard storms of life. We all are at risk of falling under pressure. We are all important. Every lighthouse was built with purpose, just like people. They are all different. These towers remind sailors of where they are and where they have been.
Lighthouses are distinct because of two things- where they stand and what they represent. People are the same way. Choose where you stand and what your life projects very carefully. Those are the things that will go down in history.”
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