Being a teenager is rough. Being a teenage girl is even more rough. I am soo glad i don't have to relive those days and I would never in a million years. Soo much pressure to fit in, and just be accepted. Trying to conform to everyone elses ways just soo people will think your are cool and like you. We have all done it before, all the while feeling the need to put on a mask because we are worried people wont accept us for who we are. Don't deny it. Even if for a brief, fleeting second you have done it.Now add the word christian to the teenage girl, and gets even more complicated.It shouldn't be, but it is.The desire to befriend and form likeminded relationships with other girls who share your faith can often become even more difficult.
Today I saw myself(my 13 year old self) in my daughter.I was about to see her off to church camp. Shes very shy, just as I was and has a hard time fitting in because of it. One of the girls said something very rude to her(a very common occurance), and it made her upset.Typical jr High girl behavior. They tend to be catty and full of drama,full of hormones. Yeah, like i said, I would never want to go back there.Anyway, I pulled her to the side and said something like she couldnt focus on how people were treating her,and the fact that she was feeling left out and not accepted,because if she did, she would miss out on what God had for her.She just needed to pray for them. We exchanged tears and I hugged her and sent her on her way. This moment sent me back in time.
As a young teenage girl, I was always trying to fit in. Especially with my fellow youth group peeps. As much as I tried,those relationships never fully developed.Never got past the surface. It was a "See you on Sunday/Wednesday" or at the next youth outing type of deal. I would sit with them at school at lunchtime on occasion. Never asked to go to their houses and spend the night or have dinner with their family.Although everyone else was. That has carried over to this day.I have friends,good christian friends who I know I can go to for just about anything,but we never call each other on the phone,never hang out, never get our families together for dinner or a fun outing.Its a deep unmet desire that has carried over from my childhood into my adulthood. There are times when I am standing in a room of like 200 people and feel soo alone. I think we have all experienced that at one time or another, for some it goes away and for others it doesn't.Its not like I haven't tried, I have put myself out there. I had a conversation with a friend of mine sometime ago, and the word that was brought up was misfit. I finally had a word to put with what i have experienced and felt for all of these years. Being a misfit though, is not necessarily a bad thing.Jeremiah 1:5 says
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” The dictionary defines the word misfit as a person not suited in behaviour or attitude to a particular social environment . In other words, a person who stands out,or is set apart. One whom doesnt blend in. As Christians, we were made to be misfits. We were made to walk differently, talk differently, to not act like everyone else acts.. As Christians, we are called to a higher purpose. We were made to stand out, to be set apart. The enemy would love nothing more than to make you feel as if you are all alone and don't fit in. Especially among fellow Christians. This couldnt be further from the truth.I saw many young people earlier who were feeling this way, you could read it in their facial expressions and body language.I have witnessed many adults experiencing this. Like I told my daughter earlier if you arent't careful, and you dont become aware of this, you could miss out on something very important God has for you.We are all called to be misfits, to be set apart, to stand out. So do just that. And do it in a way that brings honor and glory to him.
