by Irene Lewis

A friend once said to me, “God must have given teenagers pimples so that we can learn humility.” We laughed about that. Now that I think about it, it’s very plausible!

It is certainly obnoxious to wake up in the morning to find a bright red pimple on the end of your nose. Our youthful vanity really suffers from these blemishes we so despise. It’s especially annoying when someone asks, “What’s that on your forehead?” (This person is usually your mother or a sibling.) “Um, a pimple?” you try to say indifferently. The pimple is definitely one of the greatest teenage embarrassments.

So sure, why not? God could be teaching us humility. He could also be teaching us that there are things that are out of our control: No matter how often you scrub your face and no matter how many expensive facial solutions you use, there is bound to show up, especially at the most inopportune times, like when you are about to have school pictures taken, a zit. And then there are times when there are problems you just can’t get rid of, and you have to live with – like a pimple that just won’t pop! People may think that there is not one good thing you could possibly have to say about pimples. I disagree. God gives us pimples. Yes, they are a small struggle compared to what’s ahead of us. I hear people grumbling all the time; commercials let you in on the newest, clinically-proven solutions to get rid of them. Maybe they’re offensive to society – but they’re only pimples… I guess you could say that pimples are just one small bump on the path of life!

We should try to make the most of everything that God sends us, to find the value in them, and be grateful. “Be grateful for pimples?!” I am of the mind that there is a reason God gives us pimples! If so, let’s use the lesson wisely. Irene Lewis

Irene is a 16-year-old, homeschooled sophomore. She lives in Commerce, Texas, and attends All Saint of America parish in DeQueen, Arkansas. This note was first posted to the Orthodox Youth List.