Hey you,

Yes you, right now I bet you're downing your 5th cup of coffee and checking your to-do list for the 22nd time today. It seems as if all of your professors convened at the library Starbucks and conspired against you saying, " Let's make every assignment due on the exact same day!" (insert evil laugh).

You've got four papers you need to be working on, 65 online assignments (no exaggeration), a 30-line Shakespeare memorization. Like, why on earth? AND two quizzes. Sound familiar? I know, I feel ya. You've been over this semester ever since you got that first glorious taste of spring break air.

But you know what? You got this. I know you think you don't, but you do. So take a deep breath and another sip of coffee, and press on.

I know that some of these assignments seem incredibly monotonous, but let me give you a little different perspective. Instead of thinking about these assignments as pointless tasks, think of them as purposeful preparation.

You most likely enrolled with the intent of graduating. I mean I think we at least all started out that way. You have a destination in mind, and you've probably avoided walking across that seal in the middle of campus in hopes of arriving there on time.

Really it's not so much a destination as it is a starting block. Everything you are doing right now is preparation or training, if you will, for what's coming. No, in real life you probably won't have to write a 10-page research paper with a preliminary annotated bibliography, but you will have to do plenty of other daunting tasks. You'll need patience and perseverance.

God is purposefully using this season of stress and pressure to prepare you for your calling, for His calling. It sounds better than it feels. I know; I know. I'm with ya. Finals week is not really a week. It's a season. We all know that. This is a season of preparation. So sew those seeds of productivity and excellence. The harvest is coming, and it's going to be great. Perhaps you were created for a time such as this.

That paper is just another step closer to the destination. Those online assignments are building stamina and endurance. Don't quit now, there's an end in sight. Be encouraged, my friend. You've got this. God's got this. Press in. Finish strong.