As a 21-year-old college student just one year away from embarking on the adventure that is called the rest of my life, I have a lot of thoughts and worries going through my brain just about every second of every day. I’ve lived a lot of life so far, filling my days with things I love and make me come alive, but I also have a whole lot more life to live.

I’ve experienced extreme high points in my life, as well as extreme low points. I’ve already had many of my dreams come true and am pursuing new ones constantly. I’ve also had my heart shattered by the deaths of people I love. I’ve met amazing friends, lost some people I would have rather kept, been blown away by people’s kindness and been scared for what the future would hold. In between the highs and lows, I’ve been able to keep walking forward and trust the importance of the ordinary days.

As exciting as life can be, it can also be incredibly scary and lonely. There is so much that is unknown and so much that is constantly changing, that it’s difficult to find the strength to hold on to any one thing in this world.

That’s why I’ve found that it’s a much better decision to hold on to Jesus above all else.

Jesus truly knows every single worry, fear, joy, heartbreak and anger we experience during our day. He hears when we cry out to him. He never leaves our side. He knows when we feel as though we’ve hit rock bottom.

More than that, though, He feels these things too. He feels our pain, our joy, our suffering and our sadness. When we cry, He is crying with us. When we laugh, He’s laughing right along too.

He wants to help us, wants to listen to us and wants to love us. He feels what we feel. He knows our very innermost thoughts and dreams. Why would I ever want to hold on to anything else more than I am holding on to Jesus?

I can hold on to my dreams, my friends, my sorrows, my worries and everything else that changes in this life. I may feel satisfied or content for a moment or two, but that’s it. As amazing as they may be, none of the things or people I have in this life can offer me such a love and joy as great as His. None of them can be there with me always. None of them can listen to me always. None of them can feel my pain as I feel it. None of them have died for me.

But He has. He has shown, given and promised His love to every one of us for all of eternity. That’s a lot of perfect love for a lot of imperfect people.

Jesus is there for me, for you, for all of us. When things go wrong and when they go right, when plans change and minds change, when we’re moving forward or feeling stuck, He’s right there with us. He’s the one thing we can hold on to that will never leave us.

So, as a 21-year-old college student with a world of possibilities in front of me, I can live with the uncertainties, struggles and pains of this life with peace, as long as I’m holding on to the One who’s always holding me.