Click issue in the legend to view a story of someone struggling with that issue.
Multiple Issues
College Student
19 Year Old Female
Forgiveness - one of the hardest things to do. It's something that's difficult for me to bring up honestly, because it's so close to my heart. For so long, I was so sad, confused, and just hateful. I was so angry at all the people who rejected me, who hurt me. I still sometimes get to that point, where I'm just pure anger, so sad and so hurt. I don't know why people do what they do, I don't. It's taken me about a month to sit down and actually write this, because there's such a war inside of my heart right now. This week, one of the biggest people who hurt me, passed away. It's brought everything up for me again, all the hurt, and all the pain. It's made me look at myself and question if I'm really going to give this up, and stop trying to fight it, or let it go. The person's dead for goodness sakes, and you'd think I'd be fully ready to give it up, but there's still so much anger in my heart. I question why people can hurt other people the way they do, why they can just walk away. But you know what, nobody's perfect. People hurt people out of their own pain and suffering. Everyone does the best they can on this earth, everyone. Everyone has been through something. Every single person on this earth, in your class, even your parents, could blame other people for what they've been through. Doesn't matter who you are, we can all blame that one person for why what happened to us did? But the question I have for you, is what do you want? What do you want out of this life and who do you want to be. Because holding onto that anger and what happened, you're going to let it slip through your fingers. As little kids we dream of who we want to be one day, you'll watch that person go by if you don't forgive. But they really hurt me, BUT NOTHIN. This isn't about them, this is about YOU and what you're going to fight for. That hurt will eat you alive if you let it, you'll look back forty years from now, and wish you would've given up that fight and set it down. None of this means that it's okay what they did, it doesn't make it right, but you deserve better than to be angry and lost for the rest of your life because of it!! I need to let go of what they did too, I'm bawlin like a baby, but the simple truth is this, it's not about why things happen in life, it's about what are you gonna do with it? Because everyone's given an opportunity to make it better, to make it right, and to live the life you were destined to live, are you gonna take it, or live in the chains of yesterday. I'm prayin for you.
At an event in Kansas, I noticed a kid tearing up about half way through Justin’s talk and I sat next to him. However he was kinda reserved. I prayed “Holy Spirit let him know whatever suffering he’s going through he’s not alone.” Not even a minute later, Justin called me up to share my 3 minutes. I talked about my friend who was basically a brother to me that died in a car accident and how I felt like it was my fault and I was super guilty. I went back and sat down next to the same kid. He opened up with me about how his brother died and he blamed himself; he cried and I prayed with him. I have faith that I planted a good seed of healing for him. I believe God heard my prayer and that he used my 3 minutes to console him.
- AnonymousThis day we had an all-day Junior class retreat. During the retreat was breakout sessions, another missionary and I were leading the encouragement session. Our plan was to talk to them and have them write a letter to their number one encourager even if it's hard to see them as that. We had discerned it would be best for one of us to read an example letter, so I read the letter I wrote to my Dad. This was hard for me because I have not always had a great relationship with my Dad, but I read the letter to each group. During one of the groups, I had recognized a girl from the event that I had wanted to reach out to but couldn't get to in time. So I approached her but before I could say anything she told me "thank you." I was honestly so confused in the moment, but she said thank you for being authentic and reading that letter because it inspired her to write to her mom. She told me how my relationship with my dad is like her relationship with her mom. She began to cry because of the wounds this relationship holds, but this day she saw the hope that it has and it starts with her courage. I got the opportunity to pray with her and just encourage her in this step she is about to take for the healing of her and her mom's relationship.
- AnonymousI was working a lunch station at a high school event. I didn’t really expect anything big to happen, but I was talking to these juniors--just asking questions. One of the kids just opened up about how he didn’t have time for sports because he works all the time to pay half his family’s house mortgage. He told me that his dad is an alcoholic and lost his job. It was just crazy how much this kid opened up to me and I didn’t even know him for 5 minutes. Definitely shows me that the Holy Spirit is working. Afterward I got him to give me his follow up.
- AnonymousIt was an all boys event and I met ____. He was wearing a Sponge Bob Hoodie. I introduced myself to him before the event began. Justin told the guys to man up or stand up. He asked them to claim what they needed to change in their lives and then man up and stand up. One of the few who stood up was _____. I talked and prayed with him and He shared that he had overcome cancer a few years ago. I asked him to follow up with me, and he said he would find me after the event. After the event he found me and asked if he could do follow up.
- AnonymousI wanted to find some girls to talk to before the junior girls' retreat started. As I walked down the socially-distant aisle of chairs, I noticed this one girl sitting quietly in her chair. She caught my eye, and so I went up to her and decided to say hi. I could tell she was shy, but I knew that I needed to talk to her. As the conversation went on, she became more open. During the event, I checked up on her several times to see how she was doing because I could tell she was impacted and getting emotional. At the end of the event when I saw her, she was the one who joyfully approached me first and gave me a hug. It was so beautiful to see how much she wanted to encourage others after having been encouraged.
- AnonymousAfter one of the morning assemblies at a school in Ohio, I went to the Bible table to hand some out. As I got to the table a teacher came up to me. She asked if she could have 4 Bibles for the students who weren't in school that day but were watching on zoom. I told her she could have as many as she liked! She looked so hopeful and got super excited. She said she wanted a box for her classroom! She shared about how her class couldn't use the school Bibles anymore because of Covid, and they weren't able to share books at all. She talked about how disappointed she was that she had nothing to offer them for her Religion class. So I brought the box to her classroom and she was so joyful! It brought me so much hope!
- AnonymousOn the first day of tour I had the privilege to speak to _____. At first I saw him at the assembly sitting alone off to the side. I said a few words to him and then he left early. I didn’t think much of it until I saw him sitting outside while we were packing up. We started talking and this kid just started opening up to me about some intense struggles he had already been through in his young life and I barely knew him.
- Anonymous