Daniela Rajcok

A boy with his head in his arms on his knees

The Boy Who Said Nothing

The Boy Who Said Nothing By: Daniela Mejia I met a student at a school who barely spoke to anyone. All day, this boy had shut down, wearing a serious, upset face. Teachers tried talking to him. They asked what was wrong. They tried everything to get a word out of him. Yet nothing. They called me in to talk to him. When I sat down next to him, I didn’t start by asking what was wrong or what he had done wrong. I simply asked how his day was going. At first, he said—you guessed it—nothing. But...

5 days ago • 2 min read

The Third Choice

The Third Choice: What to do with the weight of harsh words. Many months ago, I led a kindness project in a few middle schools here in my city. I brought a bucket of rocks and a pack of markers, and I told the students, “Write a kind message on a rock for a stranger to find.” Very simple. Almost childlike. I remember one student raised his hand and asked, “But why are we using rocks?” And I remember holding one in my palm and thinking, because this is what words can feel like. Heavy. Hard. If...

12 days ago • 2 min read

The Security of a Fragile Sheep

The Security of a Fragile Sheep Encouragement for anyone learning to find peace in uncertain seasons. Psalm 23 has, over the last two years, become more than just the words and declarations of a man—it’s become my own life verse. I’ve borrowed it, embraced it, and made it mine. I could sit with every single line of Psalm 23 and find something new to digest, but lately one phrase has been echoing in my heart: “The Lord is my Shepherd”. There is no questioning, we are dependent beings. We need...

6 months ago • 2 min read

The Dangers of Scrolling After Horrific Events

Guarding the Mind: The Dangers of Scrolling After Horrific Events It's a natural desire to want to show up online, to stay informed, to care about what others are going through, and to join the conversation. That desire to connect comes from a really good place, afterall, we are all designed to be social beings and we have an intrinsic desire to care for one another. But lately, the endless stream of violent videos, traumatic news, heated opinions, and explicit content has left many people...

6 months ago • 2 min read