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Quitting the complaining committee
Originally appeared online in the teen series Trending - October 10, 2023
Obnoxiously loud sighs and “Ughs!” filled the hallway as my friends and I trudged to our next class. It was only 8:30 in the morning, and we had already effortlessly produced a record-breaking number of complaints about school, the weather, people—and school again.
This was a daily ritual. I embraced complaining because it seemed like an easy way of connecting with others, since common grievances were easy to find. But this practice took a toll on my mental well-being and amplified the stress I felt about my life.
One day, my mom heard me complaining and asked if I had anything positive going on. Her question surprised me—and also made me think of this from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (p. vii). I realized that my contribution to my friend group’s “complaining committee” was actually undermining my trust in God to bless my life. I was relying on complaints and drama to sustain me and help me make connections rather than understanding that God leads and sustains me.
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January 1, 2024 issue
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All things new
Lisa Rennie Sytsma
Keeping Watch
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Our spiritual identification work
Lynn G. Jackson
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Dance with Soul
Kit Cornell Kurtz
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The “changing glow” that brings progress
Richard Schaberg
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Forgiveness led me to know God
Katherine Young
Teens
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Quitting the complaining committee
Lily Hoyle
Healings
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Flexibility and ease restored
Margaret Pereira
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No more heart trouble
Mirta Perera de Castro
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Fear dissolves during adventure
Katie Penfield
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God
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Letters & Conversations
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