|
 |
| |
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
ALOVE
writer Michelle Spencer speaks of her first
day at senior school and how a potential disaster
was turned into a life-changing friendship,
all because of the bravery of one girl.
My story starts on a September morning many
years ago. I remember waking up to the sweet
sound of Chris Tarrant on my radio alarm clock.
Outside my window the rain is pelting down
and my Mum is going out of her mind trying
to get all of us up, showered and dressed
before we needed to head out the door. This
felt like a usual autumn day and yet there
was something different about it. It took
me a while to register (what with it being
so early in the morning and I had only just
woken up) just what exactly it was about today
that gave me the strange feeling of wanting
to jump in the air with excitement yet throw
my guts up in fright, then it hit me... this
was the first day of senior school.
To me this day was significant. This day marked
the beginning of adulthood, never again would
I have to use scissors that were made out
of plastic or have to tolerate another game
of kiss chase in a playground that was so
small that you always got caught. Never again
would I have to be the only tenor horn in
an orchestra which only consisted of me, a
couple of violins and a recorder and never
again would I have to endure writing lessons
with Mr Stevens who always made you write
with blunt pencils. I was now free to write
with any utensil I wanted, I was free of Christopher
Jackson and his sloppy pecks on the cheek,
I was free of all my childish ways...I was
now a woman.
As I got dressed into my new school uniform
I could not help the sense of pride that overcame
me, I was now a student in the senior school
of life and I couldn’t wait to see what
the future held for me. As my Mum dropped
me off at the school gates I couldn’t
help the grin on my face, I felt liberated,
nothing could take away this now found freedom
yet as I looked around the school yard I realised
that I had made a big mistake...I had worn
socks and every other girl in my entire year
had worn tights!!! The grin quickly went from
my and all the pride I had felt just a few
seconds ago quickly disappeared and was replaced
by a realisation that my mistake could potentially
have massive consequences. I had a choice
to make, either I could embrace my socks and
look upon this episode as an opportunity to
demonstrate to others that I was an individual
who wasn’t influenced by menial social
aspects like fashion, I was my own person
who made my own decisions, or I could run
back to my Mum. Of course, that is what I
did.
Having tried explaining to my Mother that
for me to enter those school gates wearing
my fashion faux-pas would be social suicide
and further more trying to persuade her that
making me go to school dressed like this would
not only bring shame upon myself but would
make the entire year seven question her ability
as a mother, I then put forward the reasonable
proposal that maybe today would not be the
best day for starting school and perhaps she
should consider letting me stay at home and
then try again tomorrow when we were both
more prepared. But as I watched her drive
down the lane leaving me, my navy socks and
my shame I concluded that she didn’t
entirely agree with my idea so the only option
I had left was to runaway. However, before
I had even taken one step I was cornered by
a teacher who quickly shoved me into the school
yard leaving me to cope with this disaster
all on my own.
It was at this point that I noticed another
fellow sock wearer who appeared to be walking
up to me as if she wanted to speak. We quickly
exchanged views on why socks were better than
tights and later on in our friendship began
talking about why we had both chosen to follow
Jesus over following everybody else and this
blossomed into a beautiful and life-changing
friendship, all because this girl was willing
to take a risk and talk to me.
Its hard on the first day of a new experience
to know how to be different, its scary to
think that we need to stand up and be noticed
but God calls us to be salt and light wherever
we are in the world and that will always mean
that we will got noticed for being different
but the good news is that we aren’t
on our own, there is always somebody who is
standing beside you and supporting you. Keep
your eyes open for those people and please
be willing to share your faith with them because
what may seem scary now may well develop into
something life changing.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Youthwork -
The Partnership ...
ALOVE,
Youthwork Magazine, Youth For Christ, Spring Harvest and
Oasis are working together to equip and resource the Church
for effective youth work and ministry. |
 |
|
|
|
|
