Take Two: The Maze

I was asked to write a script for a video that would open the Week of Worship at my old school. The theme was Take Two, reflecting the idea that God is a God of second chances. It took a while, but after a lot of inspiration and work, the Chapel team created something so beautiful with the script, that I wanted to share it on here. I hope you are not only blessed, but encouraged by the words and video below.
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Life is full of crazy things; distractions, temptations – you name it, she’s got it. Sometimes she’s on the highest of highs, but almost just as quick, she can hit her lowest of lows. She had many problems, but she has messed up really bad this time.
Life is confusing, she’s like a maze. Trying to find the way out can be hard and when we hit the dead end more than once, we eventually just give up trying altogether. We get lost, confused and plummet down the spiral, thinking there is no way out of the mess we have landed in. Questions can be difficult to answer and when we can’t find the answers after a lot of searching, the dead ends lead us to nowhere and we think she’s won the game – the challenges life threw got the better of us. What’s the point of trying anymore?
Everything happens, but then everything finishes. So when you feel like your world is on a downwards spiral, remember that spirals eventually get smaller and smaller and when they reach the smallest point, they stop. The struggles you’re going through, the constant disappointment, the fear of not being good enough, the group of mates you thought were your friends, the dead ends you’re facing,- these feelings won’t last forever. You just need to find another path through the maze. Second chances might not make things right, but they help prove that we could be better even after we fall.

So let me ask you again. What is the point of trying anymore? Because although she’s a maze and with a maze comes dead ends, if you keep searching, there’s always a way out. God is the way out of your maze. He will show you forgiveness and give you not only a second chance, but another chance at trying, because when you hit a dead end He wants to turn you 180 degrees and say “Take Two”. 

Keep smiling. x

Radiate positive vibes.

I recently got a job at a small local supermarket and have been exposed to not only new opportunities, but new people – which is my favourite part of working.

A middle-aged man came in the other day while I was working at the register. As he walked up to the counter to pay for his groceries I smiled and asked, “Hey! How are you?” He replied, “I’m cool thanks Jessica”, with a smile almost too big for a Monday. Two things surprised me about his comment. He not only said he was “cool”, but he said my name. I had no idea who this guy was and I think he realised I was a bit confused, so he went on to say, “your name’s on the front screen” while pointing and grinning. 

A couple days later the same man came in and I recognised him straight away when I asked, “how are you?” and again his response was, “I’m cool thanks.” This time when he came to the register I began a conversation and asked him how his day was going. As he handed over his money he said, “my day has been really good thanks, but any day is a good day if you look at it that way.” 

Isn’t he just the coolest guy ever? Each time I had seen him he was radiating positive vibes. That’s the kind of person I want to be. This man not only made my day, but he encouraged me to not let the events of my day dictate the way I feel. If you wake up in a bad mood thinking that you will have a bad day, then that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Don’t let difficult things you experience today reflect how you feel. Try your best to look at the positive things, despite how hard it can get. Be positive and be cool. 

Keep smiling. x

Flying high.

I was sitting at the park by myself the other day (I have friends, I swear). I was about to open up a book to read but was distracted by a little girl laughing. I watched her as she ran as fast as she could to allow her kite to rise off the ground. Once she had reached top speed the kite started to lift itself into the air. A short time later she began to get tired from running and her run turned into a jog, which quickly converted into a walk then a complete stop. Meanwhile, the kite was losing all its motivation to stay off the grass.

Just before the girl collapsed to the ground exhausted, an older boy, who I assumed was her brother, came to her rescue and collected the kite in his hands. He began running at full speed and with a face full of determination, it was clear that he wasn’t giving up anytime soon. The little girl looked at her brother smiling and found the energy to get up and run along behind him. 
If someone was to ask me what I did at the park that day, they probably would think I am a total creep watching children play. All I know is that those kids taught me a lesson. There are things that are challenging me in life at the moment and sometimes it feels like flying my kite is getting tiring and honestly, it is exhausting. Constantly running to keep it in the air can be difficult and just when we lose all momentum and start to fall behind, our kite begins to drop. The best part is that right before we collapse and feel like we will never get back up again, God comes along and picks up the kite in His hands. He holds onto it and never lets go, running full speed and not losing sight of where we need to be.

So if all you get from this is that maybe watching little kids at the park isn’t all that weird, that’s okay (unless you are a middle-aged man, then that’s not okay). The point is, maybe we can learn something from other people and their actions. Trying to keep your kite off the ground gets difficult sometimes, but we need to remember that just before we give up and it falls, God is there to fly our kite for us and He never lets go. We just have to get on our feet again and run with Him, because when it comes to flying kites, He is the expert.

Keep smiling. x