Before high school graduation we have this overnight recollection with our adviser and a deacon. Our topic is about “Parable of the Pencil”. On our first activity, we were group to 6 and asked to cut 5 pieces of small paper. For each paper we wrote one name of our group mate on top. Here’s the exciting & difficult part, on the right half you need to write atleat five positive attitudes you see on that person and on the left half are the five negative attitudes. Why exciting & difficult for me? I was a transferee in 3rd year, I’ve known 2 of my group mates for two years & 3 of them for less than a year but none of them are my close friends but I know that I can write their positive attitudes more than what is required by our adviser. However, when it comes to writing or telling a person of their negative attitudes that’s the difficult part for me, that’s my weakness. I can’t, I’m not good in telling what’s wrong with a person so I leave them be as long as they don’t hurt me physically. I can’t even tell my best friend that her mood swings is irritating. Or a close friend that she is a liar, I know the truth so who cares she’s my friend. After 20 minutes, we were asked to give the papers to our group mates so each one of us received 5 papers with our name on top. Mixed emotions, that’s what I felt while reading each paper. I’m surprised, happy and annoyed because I don’t even notice I was that kind of person my classmates saw me. We may not be aware of how good or bad we are because our minds are occupied with wrong beliefs. Perhaps you think that you’re a prodigal child, or the black sheep of the family or the lost soul. All you see and know is that you are worthless and you can’t be changed. We dwell more on the negative feedback than the positive ones. A negative joke than a good compliment. A one-time unintentional bad question than an unsolicited praise.
Encourage yourself to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is worthless and insignificant and cannot make a change. Ask for God’s grace and remember that there is something good in YOU.
nice bel