I’ve had to take a few weeks off from writing. With everything that is going on in the world and in my personal life, I needed to give myself some time to reflect. I never want to write out of the heat of the moment or from pure, raw emotion because my words will be spread all over the internet and just because I feel some sort of way now, does not mean I will feel that way next week. The end of the semester brings added stress that makes it even harder to set aside time to write. Finals are coming, winter break is coming and so is Christmas and a new year. Many of you will go home to reunite with your families who you may not have seen for several months and some of you will just be making another trip home like every other weekend. To some this is not exciting; to some, it brings stress and anxiety. Some of you will have to explain bad grades and even a dropped class or two. Maybe you were given a grievance for not attending a hall meeting, or maybe you were let off with a warning (definitely not sharing my own personal experience). Maybe you never accomplished your New Year’s resolutions or maybe you had hopes that this year was going to be your year. Whatever the case may be, the end of the year brings a lot of emotions. You are mentally drained and exhausted. This is causing some of you to feel like a failure. I am here to tell you that is not the truth.

College is hard. It doesn’t matter if it is your first semester or last semester, it is hard. And it seems like every time we talk about it being hard, someone has to remind us that we are ungrateful, whiny millennials. You and I are fully aware that we are going to face more difficult times in our lives, but that does not make our current situation any easier. However, if you want some advice that will actually be useful to you, keep reading.

When we get stressed and our schedules are tight, we often forget to pencil in some time with the Lord. If you have been postponing your meetings with Him, then I can guarantee you that is part of your problem. When times get tough, lean into God. His arms are open and waiting for you to embrace them. He delights in your need for Him and rejoices when you call upon Him in times of need. He knows that we are going to stray, but don’t forget to come back to Him and ask for His forgiveness. Let Him be your counselor and ask Him to guide you through these next few weeks. But don’t close the door on Him after He lifts your burdens.

John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” I don’t know what kind of darkness you might be battling with right now, but I can tell you that God is bigger. He is bigger and stronger than any problem you are facing, and His light will deliver you from the darkness.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Have faith. Trust that God has a plan for you and be confident in that plan. He knows way better than you do about what is best for you. Maybe He is protecting you from a major that you were going to end up hating anyway. Maybe that pointless class you took had some important information that you will put to use later when you are furthering His kingdom. Don’t underestimate the Lord’s will.

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” Truth bomb. He cares so much for you. He cares so much that even the hairs on your head are numbered. Don’t you think that if He knows even the most minuscule details about you that He also knows you are struggling and He is just waiting for you to call on Him?

Psalm 18:2 says “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Do not anchor your worth in your GPA, the amount of student loans you have, or how many credits you have left to graduate; anchor it in your rock. Anchor it in the Lord. Take refuge in the One who never fails; the one who protects you and delivers you from evil.

I have an entire journal full of verses that I could apply to this message, but I am going to guess that you don’t have time to read them all, and that is OK, but please take the time to read just one more.

I am going to end by sharing Psalm 9:1 with you. “I give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Don’t forget to thank Him for all of the blessings He has given you. Life may be a mess right now, but there is always something to thank Him for. And when things start turning around and are finally going your way, don’t forget to give the glory to the One who made all of it possible. Share your story with others who are struggling, tell of His “wonderful deeds” and all He has done for you.

Breathe, heaven has no minimum GPA requirement.