Listen Up!

One day you notice a dark spot on your shoulder. How did you manage to get ink or marker there? You scrub till the skin is pink, but the spot remains. You forget about it, but a month later, you notice it again. It seems darker—and bigger. You scrub till it bleeds and cover it with a Band-Aid. Then one day you read an article in a teen magazine about skin cancer. It says to watch out for moles that darken or grow. You pray about it and go to talk to your mom. “Look at this,” you say, peeling off the Band-Aid. After consulting a dermatologist (skin doctor), you have the suspicious mole removed. It isn’t skin cancer—not yet. But getting advice from your mom and the skin doctor may have saved your life. Ignoring the problem could have been deadly.

When you have a problem, it’s good to share it with trusted others, like a parent, teacher, counselor, youth pastor, or doctor. Confiding in your best friend is fine, but your friend may not know what to do either. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22 TNIV) It can be scary to share your problem with an adult, but it’s even scarier keeping it to yourself and not knowing what to do. People care about you and want to help. Let them!