Short Stories

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Ronald is the average teenager. He's on the basketball team and one of the most handsome boys on the team. He excels in all of his subjects and a favorite among teachers and students. Ronald works with various clubs such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Boys & Girls Club and Boy Scouts. He is also a dedicated Christian who plays the drums during worship service and attends bible study weekly. In addition, he loves to evangelize to his fellow students and seems to have joy in his life..Or so he thought.


This past week, Ronald got on the scale. He noticed that he gained thirty pounds, not a good size for the ideal basketball hunk. He was devastated, he always wanted to look good in front of the nice girls and everyone in general. The thought of being overweight made him upset. Ronald feared that if he lost his good physique, he would stop getting dates and that he wouldn't be popular anymore. He decided to take some extreme measures to lose weight. It started by eating only fruits and salads, then just water and fruit. Ronald lost ten pounds in two months. He slowly regained his physique and no one suspected that he had an eating disorder. He hid this struggle for almost a year. Even his parents once told him, "You lost a little weight, we're glad you're choosing to live healthy." But Ronald knew the truth. After dinner he sat in his room and took a half a box of laxatives. He then did countless exercises and lifted weights every morning. In the morning, he would jog around the school gym. The coach was so impressed by Ronald's "discipline" that he asked him to be the spokesperson for the school's annual Fitness Day. Ronald really felt glad, his rigid diet finally paid off.

Ronald began to experience some problems. At his games he fainted constantly and needed medical attention. While meeting with a doctor one morning with his parents, Ronald was told that he had anorexia. The signs were now evident. Ronald was a lot thinner than usual,so much that his bones were exposed. His teeth were yellow and he had a medium-sized bald spot in his hair. Ronald's parents then told him, "If you keep doing this, you'll die before God wants you to. Trying to get acceptance from others is not worth your life. Your value must come from God. Stop depending on those students and team members. They only like your status and physique, not the real you. The person who's caring, humorous, sensitive and intelligent." "But you don't understand, mom. That's how people judge you. Being overweight is not a good thing because you're treated poorly and I don't want that", replied Ronald. "You should be concerned about God's thoughts about you, not those students. Physical appearance is important but you're obsessed with it Ronald. It's not the end of the world if you lose a position on the basketball team", said his father.

His parents watched his every move at home. They threw away all of his laxatives and gave him balanced meals. Ronald's mother even stood in the bathroom with him. Slowly Ronald gained some weight. At school, his teammates didn't really notice the change. "Here comes our star player!, look at you! All the girls will want to go out with you", laughed one teammate. "I wish I had those muscles, you are blessed with that physique", said another teammate. Ronald had an inner conflict. He wanted to end his destructive lifestyle but he also wanted to keep receiving affirmations from others. Ronald lived for them, it made him feel valued everytime the coach said,"You're the best player on the team" or the girls scream everytime he walked on the basketball court. Ronald felt it gave him self-worth.

One Friday night while his parents were away, Ronald made three salads, soup and a piece of bread. After eating this he did twenty sit-ups, thirty crunches and ten jumping jacks. By ten o' clock, he fell asleep but maybe for the last time.

When his parents checked on Ronald, they noticed he wasn't breathing. They quickly called 911 and Ronald was rushed to the hospital. He suffered arrythmia and was in a coma for a month. During this time his parents and pastor prayed that Ronald would recover and realize that his actions were not necessary, that God would give him what the world couldn't give him.

As Ronald recovered, his parents told him,"We hope you learned your lesson. Your search for acceptance should stop here. It only caused you pain and almost your life. The bible says you shouldn't compare yourself by yourself. You are unique, loved by God, accepted in the beloved, and you have eternal life. What can be better than that? Popularity, good looks and physical strength won't last for long. But being God's child and doing His will is the best satisfaction. You should try it", said his father.
After hearing this, Ronald realized that he was looking for acceptance in the wrong places. From that point on, he decided to let God fufill his need for acceptance.

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