Everyone has a story

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." -Maya Angelou

Being in college has been an amazing experience. I’ve gotten to meet so many different types of people. What I realize is that everyone has a story, but sometimes we don’t give people the opportunity to share it. 

In one of my classes, we have assigned seating. I thought that I had gotten to know the people sitting around me, but, as it turns out, I actually didn't know much about them. One day, our teacher challenged us to take 2 minutes and give our testimony to the person sitting next to us. So, I began to speak to the guy sitting on my left. After sharing my testimony, it was his turn. He began to tell me about his past. He had a rough relationship with his parents. His parents divorced and he chose not to live with either of them after they separated. There’s much more to the story, but either way, I realized that I hadn't even tried to get to know the person sitting right beside me the last few weeks. Was I so wrapped up in my own world to pay any attention to the person sitting next to me?

The same thing happened in another one of my classes. There was a girl that I had spoken to before in that class, but I realized that I didn't know much about her before she shared her story. She used to be in the partying and drinking scene. After passing out in her bathroom one night after a party, her dad found her on the floor and told her how disappointed he was. But, she got her act together when she accepted the Lord as her Savior. Everything wasn't rainbows and butterflies after becoming a Christian, though. Her doctor found a tumor in her back and she was told that it was cancer. She had to go through chemotherapy and, after a long treatment, she was finally cancer-free. This girl is only 18 years old, today. She has already gone through so much more than the average person goes through in their lifetime.

Don’t jump to the conclusion that those around you are ordinary people. There’s no such thing as an ordinary person because we all have interesting pasts whether we think so or not. Sometimes I go through life thinking that I’m surrounded by ordinary people with average lives and unexciting pasts. But now I’m starting to realize that isn't the case. I live in an extraordinary world with diverse people that have unforgettable stories. I can’t simply wait and see if maybe, one day, someone will approach me and tell me their story. I have to make an effort to get to know the people around me. The people we pass everyday are all going through their own battles. You never know the impact your words may have on someone else, and sometimes, people just want someone to talk to. Why can’t it be you who listens?  

Be careful not to go through the motions each day. Make conversations with the people you encounter. Perhaps you'll be surprised at who you might meet.