“Don’t underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize.”
It’s easy to assume things about people. You see someone on the street holding up a sign wearing tattered and worn clothes, and you assume that they are homeless. You see someone at your school not talking to anyone so you assume that they are shy. As humans, we have a tendency to do this, but that doesn’t make it right or okay to do. And that just goes to show because rarely an assumption turns into a fact. Why would you do that when you could just ask them or even more importantly, get to know the person.
This past year, I have gotten to know many people that I didn’t know as well before. And I’ve got to be honest with you when I say that I have noticed many different kinds of people around me. I wouldn’t have noticed this if I hadn’t taken the time to truly get to know them.
At camp over all my years, (yep, here comes another camp reference) I have met some amazing people. And at camp, you cannot go wrong with anyone. Out of all the places I have ever been to, this is the place where I have met some of the most important people to me. There is something about those six days. Those six days you spend eating Sysco, sweating so much you change your shirt twice a day, chanting endlessly thinking your going to lose your voice, adventuring to the train bridge trying not to get poison ivy, and through all of that praise our Lord Jesus Christ. All of that fun starts with the people around you, and there’s never a dead moment at camp so it’s always hype. The conversations I have had with people there are as authentic as they can get. In saying, the way these conversations start up are just as cool. This past summer, I met one of my best role models and now friends while just going to go look at the sunset in the back of my cabin. That one thought of going to go look at the sunset led to a 60 minute conversation and a life lasting friendship. Honestly, you never know what’s going to happen at camp. One of the coolest things is that every single person there cares about you and wants to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. And to me, that’s one of the coolest things I have experienced. It just goes to show that the love of one person can make a huge impact. And I have been able to see an immense impact in my life because of the amazing faith-filled friends I have.
Ever since I was born, and especially since I went to camp the first time, I have experienced so many awesome people who have such a profound impact on my life. The love they show me everyday makes me so grateful for them and want to return the favor and love to all those around me.
Everyone knows people in their lives that need a little extra love in their day. For example, at school there are many people that I get mad at often for not acting the way they should. I don’t scream at them or say mean things to them out loud, but I think these thoughts in my head which isn’t good either. Instead of assuming, no matter how hard it may be, something bad about that person, we should go talk to them. We go to talk to them and tell them that we are here for them, and that we care about them. Life isn’t easy. And your situation may be nothing close to what these kinds people are experiencing in their life, but just by being there as a friend can mean so much. It can take one action to change someone’s day, and you being a caring friend to them could make them feel a love that they haven’t had the chance to ever experience in their life before.
In my short 15 years of life, I have met so many awesome people. And it’s so crazy for me to think that people who were strangers to me a year ago have become some of my best friends. Also, I have met people in all different stages of life and experiencing all different things, but altogether, they have shown me what truly matters in my life and to be thankful for the life I have. So next time when we think of assuming something about someone, let’s stop and think about the choice we are going to make and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into making the best choice.
Dear God,
Help us to always strive to be the light in the darkness to those around us by spreading the love of Christ to all. Guide us to be living instruments of Your truths and to spread Your Holy word to all we meet. In your name we pray, Amen.
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Pray for Us.
-Anna Zacharias
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