Skeptic? I doubt it.

Life has a funny way of changing your perspective on things. You start off as a kid with an eternal hope about everything. You truly believe that when you grow up you can become anything you want to be. You truly believe that your heroes are just that...heroes. You truly believe what people tell you, because why would anyone tell you anything other than the truth?

But somewhere along the path, things change. You begin to have doubts about what you can do, who you can become. You begin to see that people are people and they make mistakes, no matter how many homeruns they hit, symphonies they compose or best-selling novels they write. And you experience the pain of lies and deception from other people, causing you to build walls that keep the truth from penetrating your heart, even when the truth is there. And over time, skepticism sets in.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think being a skeptic is all bad. I think it’s even necessary in order to keep from getting hurt too much. But there’s a difference between skepticism and hopelessness.

What I pray is that I don’t allow the skepticism that has developed over years of life to keep hope out. I pray that being realistic (a synonym for skeptical) doesn’t keep me from finding a glimmer of possibility in every situation, every day. And I pray that, although I’ve faced my own lies and deception just as much as those of others, I don’t lose sight of the power of God to use anything for his good.

If anyone can turn the tide of my skepticism, it’s God. Because only he can turn pain into joy, hurt into smiles, and a skeptic’s heart to one that beats loudly and quickly for him.