Falling Short (Part 1)

Lia threw her ballet shoes into the back seat of the car and slid in with a sigh. "Practice went that well, huh?" Mom gave Lia a sympathetic glance before pulling away from the curb. "Mom, I want to quit--I keep falling short in my high demi pointe! Every time I try to raise up higher on my toes, my legs feel all wobbly. Today I fell, and Cathy laughed at me! She does all her moves perfectly. It's not fair!" "Lia, you've got to remember that Cathy has been in ballet for years and this is only your sixth month. She shouldn't have laughed at you, but you need to focus on what you have accomplished and how far you've come."Scowling, Lia scrunched farther down in her seat. She tried to stop the tears from filling her eyes. "I just feel so useless sometimes--like everyone is better than me and more talented." "I think everyone feels that way at some point," said Mom. "However, you can't let how you feel or other people's skill levels deter you from something you have a passion for. I want you to finish out the year, and then we can reevaluate if you want to continue ballet." "I really do like ballet," Lia said. "But what if I don't get any better?"Mom smiled at her. "Then remember whose child you are." Lia rolled her eyes. "Yours, obviously." Mom laughed. "Yes, but I'm talking about you being God's child. Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that He loves you regardless of what you can or can't do. Do you remember the verse we read in church about how God pours out His love on His children?" "Yes, and Pastor Andy talked about how we don't need to live in fear because Jesus did what we couldn't do--He lived a perfect life and then died and rose again to make us right with God." Lia gazed out her window quizzically. "Mom, I thought we were going home--why are we at the zoo?" "Impromptu field trip! I just thought of an animal you need to see that will encourage you to stand strong even when you feel like you're falling short. Come on!" Lia grinned. "Now you've really thought of everything!" -Savannah Coleman