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At first glance, this seems like a very- uh- interesting statement. Learning
"how to eat an elephant," however, is probably one of the most
important things you can learn as a student, especially when you are dealing
with change.
I faced a difficult change of my own at the
start of this school year. As can be expected for a sophomore in high school,
my school load took a huge increase this year (I went from having only one
online class a year in addition to my regular school load to having four - two
of those being Pre-AP and AP).
The
first five weeks were a total nightmare. I was drowning in a sea of deadlines,
homework assignments, and projects. I struggled to make it through each day and
balance my school with my relationship with God, my family, my friends, and my
extracurricular activities. Every time I looked at my schedule for the week, I
wanted to cry. In short, I was an emotional wreck.
I
finally reached my breaking point when I had a meltdown over a confusing math
problem that my mom was trying to explain to me. After pouring out all of my
frustrations and anxiety with my new schedule in-between sobs, I buried my head
in my arms and yelled,
"I
just can't do this anymore!"
After
a few seconds of silence, my mom wrapped her arms around me and said,
"First
of all, Mary Beth, you have got to get a grip on yourself." She gave me
some time to calm down, hugging me and giving me tissues. After I quieted down
she looked right at me with a sparkle of humor in her green eyes and asked,
"Mary
Beth, do you know how to eat an elephant?"
It
was such a weird and random question, that, in spite of how upset I was, I
started laughing. She laughed too, and after giving me another hug, she whispered,
"One bite at a time."
This
seemingly silly statement paved the way for a great conversation about perspective, a conversation that God
used to help me grow both emotionally and spiritually.
Perspective is the way we see the world
and all of the things that happen to us. It's a vital part of who we are as
people because it shapes our attitudes about changes in our lives.
During
the first several weeks of school, I was looking at all of the changes in my
schedule from a "me" perspective. I constantly felt sorry for myself
and began believing that I was some sort of "victim." To put it
bluntly, I was being selfish and unthankful.
Instead
of complaining about my school load and allowing it to get me down, I should
have dropped to my knees and thanked God for all of the many blessings He's
given me: a country where I can worship Him freely, good health, financial
blessings, 3 square meals a day, clothing, a comfortable home, doctors and
nurses who care for me when I am sick, clean water, parents who desire to
protect me and stay involved in my life, brothers who want to spend time with
me and who treat me like a princess, a bed to sleep in, a car, AND the opportunity
to get an excellent education so that I can be well equipped for advancing His
kingdom. The list goes on and on.
After
I had this eye-opening conversation with my mom, I tried putting this into
practice. I found that when I started to count my blessings and open my eyes to
the world around me, my "overwhelming school schedule" didn't seem so
important anymore because I realized that there are so many other much more
difficult changes that I could be dealing with (my dad losing his job, moving away
from all that I've known, losing a relative or friend). Now, I am so grateful
to God for where He has put me in life and find joy in dealing with change
because I know that it is a God-give opportunity to prepare myself for whatever
He has in store for me.
My prayer for each one of you (especially all
of you students!) is that you will start to see changes from God's perspective.
When you feel like you can't eat your elephants anymore, take a deep breath,
count your blessings, and remember those elephants, by God's grace, can be eaten...one bite at a time.
By: Mary Beth Loveless
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