Dear Shawn,
Let's talk about the short film that you released about a week ago.
Your story is one that is the epitome of being a gymnast, but is also one that can easily carry over to the lives of everyone. There is a certain pressure put on everyone at our age. We are expected to be the best and we set ourselves (and goals) high, but it can reach a point where we become so enveloped in everyone's expectations that it makes us, as people, fragile. We become susceptible to the negativities about ourselves and therefore begin to focus on our failures rather than our accomplishments. As someone who used to be a gymnast, I would say that it is not only a physically draining sport, but it reaches a certain level where there are mental effects. You could say that we aren't judged on the greatness we have. As soon as we step on that mat, grab those bars, mount that beam, or start to run, the judges are looking for mistakes. They are looking past all the hard work we have put into those tricks and looking into everything we have done wrong in executing it. As a result, we then carry this mindset into our lives outside of the gym and begin to assume that nothing is/will be enough. Perhaps, in a way, that can be a good thing; it can keep us motivated to continually better ourselves, but it is incredibly draining, feeling like you're not enough. At a gymnastics meet, we only have one shot (except for vault, but you know what I mean) to get everything right, to be perfect. We are only given one life, and everyone wants to do it right. Of course, we have longer than a minute and a half to do so, but the looming idea of a single life still weighs heavily on our shoulders.
However, in all of this, there is a great but. You were right in saying that moments where you finally let the Lord in, without even thinking about it, are difficult to describe. But it is those moments that we come alive. As soon as we realize that it is not our mistakes that define who we are and that it is the Lord's love for us that does, we simply feel free.
In this interview, you have described an experience that most people haven't had the chance to have and brought forth the idea that, even though it looks easy and it looks incredible, there is a cost. BUT, the beautiful thing is that the Lord has already paid that debt for us, and thanks to you and your story, more people are made aware (or reminded) of that fact.
For that I thank you.
Most sincerely,
Tori
P.S. I think you're awesome.
By the way, if anyone hasn't seen Shawn's short film for I Am Second, here it is:
