Amazing Amaris

All you need to identify this cheerful flautist is her handwriting. Whether she’s using her flowy cursive or her font worthy print, her writing is always neat. That’s one reason why she’s such a great secretary. Another reason is her strong work ethic. She does everything quickly, efficiently, and with alacrity. Leaping off the auditorium stage, she hits the ground running, a stack of papers in her hands. She tapes one to the door, puts one in the cafe; gives one to Craig, another to Mr. Lemon, smiling all the while. Then she runs up the stairs to English class, because, as usual, she was working during class.

She makes it a habit to run up the stairs, and two at a time at that. She’s very athletic. One activity she loves is running outdoors, especially when she’s with her running buddies. Really anything outdoors is fun to her, and you’ll often find her on the lawn outside the cafeteria at lunch time. At 2:15 on a Sabbath afternoon you’ll likely find her at the boy’s dorm, however, she won’t be there long. Pretty soon she’ll be at the front of a hike up some of the most strenuous and steep trails with only her water bottle and a hair tie (She’s the minimalist type, no hulking packs or suitcases for her. Well, at least most of the time).

What amazes me about this girl is that her strength isn’t only muscle deep. Her strength of character compels me to look up to her. As a result of her obvious, vibrant relationship with her heavenly Father, she frequently does anonymous acts of kindness (I know that she does them because whenever she gives a card her easily identifiable handwriting incriminates her). Also, self-sacrifice is natural to her, and even when she has been slighted she thinks of others. Although I have never seen her cry because of physical pain, she has a very soft and sensitive heart that is easily touched by emotional pain, and I have often seen her cry in sympathy for another’s suffering. Her broad, happy smile; contagious laugh; and quick humor have brightened many lives. Often times when her own day was not going the way she had planned. An example of her irrepressibly upbeat spirit happened just the other day. Not long after a couple of quizzes on human anatomy she was in a car accident. Afterwards, as she was being checked over, our science teacher asked her where her head hurt. After a seconds pause she replied with an attempted smile "on my lower occipital bone." This elicited a chuckle from our science teacher and the others who were listening although she herself was prevented from showcasing her usually broad smile because of her swelling and injuries. In spite of her awful circumstances she still tried to buoy the spirits of others with a small dose of humor.

Overall, I think this beautiful woman can be rightly compared to the woman described in Proverbs 31. She loves deeply, cares genuinely, works diligently, lives responsibly, and fights valiantly for what is right; she is the strongest girl I know. Truly, “Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come” (Prov.31:25).