READ: ECCLESIASTES 7:10; JOHN 10:10; ROMANS 8:28-39; EPHESIANS 2:7-10

It was my junior year of high school, and I was miserable. The I-don’t-want-to-be-here leave-me-alone kind of miserable. I was supposed to be back at school with my friends in Kenya, where my parents were missionaries. Then the difficult decision was made not to return. I was devastated. So, I shut down. Like a robot, I would get up and go to school every day. At night, I would pour out my heart in letters to my friends in Africa where life was going on without me.

One day at school I was in the girls’ bathroom having a good cry when my classmate Sheryl walked in. Noticing my puffy eyes, she asked if I was okay, and I blurted out everything. Sheryl listened like I was the most important person in the world and what I had to say mattered.

Sheryl and her family had also lived in Africa but had to leave because of unsafe conditions. Looking me in the eyes, she spoke truth over me: Africa was in the past for both of us. She encouraged me to live in the right here and now. At first, I didn’t want to hear it. But then the truth sank in. Without even realizing it, my tattered soul had been giving in to the enemy, Satan, who only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus came so that we would have life to the full! And deep down in my heart, I knew that to be true.

After that, I began to let my guard down and made some great friends. My junior and senior years were full of volleyball games, Thursday night Bible studies, play auditions, opportunities to sing, and so much more. I don’t think I would have ever even tried if Sheryl hadn’t nudged me to let go of the past and live life fully, without holding back. • Kelly Hope Parke

• Have you been through a major life change recently? Even seemingly minor changes, like moving from one grade to the next, can be challenging. And letting go of the way things used to be can be painful and difficult. The good news is, Jesus is with you through the whole process, offering His strength and comfort. He won’t let you go through this change alone. He is with you through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to help you grieve what’s behind you and embrace what’s in front of you, thanking Him for the good things that were and the good things that are yet to come.

[Jesus said,] “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)