Expectations are strange, strange things...

So...the persuasive speech I posted about a few weeks ago? I just finished giving it. I ended up deciding on the topic, "Save the Spiders!", and talked about how spiders are very beneficial to society and shouldn't be killed, but rather respected.

It's funny -- last speech I gave for this class was an informative one about the history & future of the toothbrush. I LOVED that speech and had a great time doing it. I got a 99 on it -- the prof deducted a point because she said I didn't look at my notes enough (I knew the material too well) and I was "too energetic -- you sounded like a used car commerical". (Hello? I'm freakishly energetic. All the time. She should know that by now; I even get excited when she hands out homework, for pity's sake!)

Anyway, I took her advice about streamlining info, not being so darn energetic and not sounding so memorized for this speech. Personally, I think it stunk; I lost my place a few times looking at my notes and I was defintitely WAY less excited than last time. However, when I talked to her after class, she said it was actually much better than last time, because I relied on my notes instead of my knowledge and wasn't too enthusiastic. WHAT?!?!

Expectations are strange things, eh? I had high expecations of myself for this speech, and in my mind, I didn't come close to meeting them. And yet, apparently, by NOT meeting mine, I managed to meet HERS. So now that I've sacrificed my own goals in an attempt to live up to hers, I'll get a good grade.

AND, I had to wear matching socks today (knee-high socks with a skirt. I ROCK that look, by the way) because she said mismatched made it seem like I wasn't taking the assignment seriously. You would not believe how much I wrestled with this when getting dressed this morning. Sure, matching socks never killed anyone, but it was a matter of changing who I am to meet someone else's expectations. Conformity. Ick. And in the end? I wore matching socks for the first time in about 3 years, and I'd bet you my grade improved because of it. So there you have it -- College is teaching me to conform and sacrifice my personal beliefs.

So you know, college is strange, too, come to think of it....

One Life to Love

So...one lesson I've been learning a lot lately is that life is short. As you know, I am workaholic and a perfectionist to boot -- it's SO easy for me to get consumed by making sure every little detail is not only perfect but above and beyond expectations. This translates into doing intense amounts of extra credit homework, doing double assignments, studying and restudying obsessively...you get the idea. And while that's all well and fine, I'm finally starting to learn that there's more to life than striving for perfection.

When I get to Heaven, and Jesus asks me what I've done to further His kingdom, do I really want to be saying, "Well...um...well I DID get all 100's while I was in school! Perfect A's, every single year! And check out all the extra credit points I racked up!" Somehow...I don't He'll be that impressed.

My goal this year has been to shift my focus to the things that really matter in life. Don't worry -- I'm not saying school isn't important. I know that God wants me to work hard and get an education, because He's going to use that to His glory in whatever situations He places me in later on. I'm going to need that. (So even when Algebra seems pointless, I remind myself that somehow, this WILL glorify God, in the end...!). What I AM saying, though, is that priorities are important. I'm learning that sometimes, you have to skip a class to go vist your amazing youth leader Amy, who needs a lift. You might need to skip the extra credit homework assignment because your friend has just called you, sobbing. You might need to give up studying that chapter for the 13th time because your brother's club needs extra volunteers at a bake sale. Life is about loving; above all, we are to glorify God and spread His Word and His Love to all whose lives we can touch.

I'm learning that being so wrapped up in my own goals is selfish. I'm learning that I don't need to worry about the "what ifs" because if I'm following God's will, I know it's all gonna be OK. I'm learning that this is our one chance to spread the joy and life is too short to squander it on things that won't matter.

Will my SAT scores matter 10 years from now? Heck no. Will the fact that I was there to help my best friend out when she needed me matter? Oh, yeah. You bet it will!

When I get to Heaven, will God give a hoot about all the study hours I put in? Maybe. Maybe not. Will He be more concerned with the time I spent serving others, loving others and leading others to Him? Oh yeah, baby.

This song has been influencing my thoughts a lot lately, too.

Noah's Ark

(Thanks, Kat!)

Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Noah's Ark:

ONE

Don't miss the boat.

TWO

Remember that we are all in the same boat.

THREE

Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

FOUR

Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

FIVE

Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

SIX

Build your future on high ground.

SEVEN

For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

EIGHT

Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

NINE

When you're stressed, float awhile.

TEN

Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

ELEVEN

No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Those Frustrating Folks...

There are some people in life who drive me crazy.

Sometimes, it's over little, stupid, pointless things...Take, for example, that person driving towards you who never bothers to turn off their headlights. Or, the inconsiderate person who drops a container of butter in the grocery store and then just walks away and leaves the mess there for someone ELSE to deal with.

Now, admittedly, there are bigger issues in life. There are people who more then just annoy me -- they infuriate me! There are people who support causes I don't agree with and criticize me for my beliefs. There are people who seem to be determined to inform me of every single one of my flaws. There are "friends" who have turned on me. There are those who are prideful and self-centered and can't stop bragging; those who are mean and cold-hearted...I could go on and on.

Everyone has people in their life that make life harder, sadder, angrier, scarier, or more unbearable. And we often wonder -- why can't it be easier?
Why do I have to deal with people who hurt my feelings, break promises, cause fights, get me in trouble, etc, etc, etc?
What could we possibly gain from all these negative interactions that ruin our day?

Look at what Walt Whitman has to say in answer to this question:

Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you? -- Walt Whitman

Think about these words for a moment.

Whitman implies that we can learn something from those that drive us insane; those that anger us and cause us pain or struggling.

He's right. Just as we can learn things from positive intereactions with people, we can learn just as much -- if not more -- from negative intereactions. We learn how to deal with opposition, stubborness, and anger. We can learn a great deal about patience, humility, kindness and most of all, forgiveness.

God gives us the opportunities to interact with people who will ruin our day, make our lives miserable and bring us to tears -- what matters is what you learn from it. You learn a lesson from every situation, no matter how bleak it is. You just have to open your eyes and see the opportunity!! Maybe God's giving you a chance to practice being thankful. Maybe He's letting you learn how to stand up for yourself. Maybe He wants you to try listening to someone else's opinions...but you've got to be looking for the opportunity to learn, and to love.