a girl to change the world : alyssa

So, because she asked for me to, I'm writing a post today about a wonderful young girl named Alyssa. Alyssa is 13, goes to my church, and is a regular attendant at the bible study I lead. Like how when I wrote about Brandi (who, incidentally, is Alyssa's mom), I'd like to share with you a few reasons why I love Alyssa...

First is that Alyssa can make me laugh at anything. 

She is never afraid to show a side of herself that is completely true to who she is. It is plain and honest. And absolutely hilarious. She doesn't hide who God made her to be. She proclaims herself loudly and doesn't care of you like it or not. She shines so much joy into my life. Anytime I'm having a bad day, am irritated, or just not feeling up to anything, she pulls me out of it instantly, by just being herself.

The next, and most important, is that her relationship with God is unbelievable.

Never have I met someone of her age who works so hard to have a close relationship with God. It may not be perfect. She, like every other Christian to walk the earth, has dry times in her faith, but she always comes back stronger, and more in love with our God. She's an incredible example to other Christians that you don't have to have years of training, you don't have to be in ministry, you don't have to be an adult to have a deep, close, intimate, and real relationship with the God who changed her life.

Third is she doesn't go with the crowd.

 She thrives on being different.. an individual. She doesn't make the easy choice in tough decisions. Instead, she sees the bigger picture, and she wrestles through the terrible fights that today's teenagers face. Through drugs, relational intimacy, money, drinking, self-image, slander and gossip, depression, shop lifting... she pushes through the norm of her generation, and fights it off with the Word of God and prayer. That, right there, is just about the hardest thing for a girl her age to do. I didn't do that when I was her age. I admire her greatly for being so strong and leaning on God through all she is faced with on a daily basis.

Last is she is incredibly smart and opinionated for her age.

I think it's great that she has so many opinions and ideas at 13 years old. I'm so sick of how people often say that kids and teens don't have opinions that matter and don't know anything. I understand that when you are young, you're unaware of a lot of things in the world and it takes till you're older to understand them fully, but that does not, in any way, mean that kids and teens do not have opinions, ideas, and thoughts about various topics. We are smart. When people draw the easy conclusion that we just don't understand, that usually leads them to the thought that we're not smart. I promise, we are.

The fact that Alyssa turns her nose up to those comments and doesn't let it stop her from thinking is so mature of her. By doing that, she's unconsciously entered a battle that I've been trying to fight, tooth and nail, through this blog between these younger generations and the stereotypes of the world.

There are only a couple of people in my life that I admire. Alyssa, is one of them. I wish I could have been in such a strong place in my faith at her age. I've told her many times that if she ends up messing up her life, I will hunt her down and hit her over the head with the Bible... but in my heart, I do not believe that she will ever end up in a place like that. Each of the things I wrote about are things that are so rare to find in today's youth... this young girl, has all of them. If she can do it, why can't the rest of us?

I can see her doing incredible things. If the world were to be changed, she would be the one to do it. Her goal in life is to get really fat and live in her kitchen. Even if she one day achieves that goal, I know that she'll still be changing lives from her place at the dinning room table.