Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” In the summer of 2019, I was trying to make a big decision. I am a gymnast at Westside Dance and Gymnastics Academy. There are two different gymnastics programs at Westside. There is J.O. (Junior Olympics) and Excel. At the time I was in J.O. J.O. is more structured, only allowing certain skills to be done at certain levels. I had to decide if I wanted to continue in J.O., and be in a group with younger kids, or if I wanted to switch programs and move to the Excel program. I really struggled with the choice and even considered quitting while going back and forth between the two options. My best friend Serena had made the same difficult decision the year before. Serena ended up choosing excel. She not only adored it, but also did really well in competitions. 

I loved J.O. and wanted to continue in it, but I also wanted to try something new. Not only would I be able to attempt new skills in excel, I would also be able to join the gym’s new tumbling and stunting program, which sounded really exciting. My coaches, Susan and Haylee, thought it would be good to try something new and meet new people, but I was still not so sure. Some of my friends were moving to excel, but some were staying in J.O. It was really hard to know what would be best for me. 

I started off not talking about my feelings and keeping my emotions a secret. I was scared that I would choose the wrong thing, and I just did not know what to do. I spent the next few weeks not talking or praying about it, keeping all my feelings tightly inside. Serena’s mom Simone agreed to talk with me. We made a list of things I liked about J.O. and a list of things I did not like about J.O. Some of the things I liked were: my friends, coaches, traveling, and having a team retreat. One of the things I did not like was the conditioning and all of the hours at the gym, which didn’t give me time to see my friends or do anything other than gymnastics. 

After talking and praying together, Simone thought it might be a good idea if I tried a week of excel to see what I thought. Then I could make my decision. I prayed about it and talked some more with Simone. I agreed to do the week in excel. In excel we got to do back layouts, skill series on the beam, and a lot of skills I had never been allowed to try before. We also went bowling, watched a movie, played at the park, and went roller skating to get to know each other and help bond as a team. It was amazing great having more flexibility with my time and be challenged in new ways. 

On the way to roller skating, which was one of our team bonding activities, I rode with my friends from J.O. and with the excel coach, Kellen. He was extremely nice. My friends and I had a blast in his car. We sang, danced, and told jokes. 

Sam asked, “If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?”

Kellen replied, “More wishes!” and we all laughed.

I could tell that we were going to have a lot of fun in excel, and I wished that we could spend even more time together.

After trying things out for a week, I prayed some more and decided to make the move to excel. I trusted God that I would be okay and everything would be fine. One Bible verse that helped me was Jeremiah 29:11. It states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,  plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” This verse helped me a lot. It reminded me that God knows what is going to happen, and He even knew what I would choose. I just needed to trust in Him that He would guide me to the right choice. I am glad I moved to excel. There are a lot of new opportunities and people to meet. My good friend Sam was so excited that I moved to excel. 

“Yay! Lex you're here!” squealed Sam.

“I’m so happy we’re still on the same team!” I told her.

Talking and praying about your problems helps a lot. It is hard to keep all your feelings inside. I encourage you to trust God and believe that He knows and wants the very best for you. He can and will handle everything. This was a really hard lesson for me to learn. It’s hard for me to share my feelings and get help, even when I really need it. Now I know that even when I’m not ready to talk to other people, God is with me, and He can do all things. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”