College life is filled with ups and downs; one week you feel on top of the world, and the next you feel like the world is on top of you. This is not only a phenomenon found on college campuses, but rather it is a part of everyday life no matter your age.
It can be very stressful when it seems like everything is going against you and you don't know what to do. Everyone has their own ways of dealing with these situations from going for a run, to blasting music, to napping. There are many ways to deal with feeling like you are being trapped. All of these are perfectly fine ways to deal with stress, but there is someone that can help you learn from that feeling, and help you find peace even when there is a war going on inside your head. That someone is God.
As someone who has been raised in the Catholic faith I have always had an underlying understanding that God is always there for you when you need it, but I never really took it seriously. Going to a Catholic high school after years of public school, I began to gain a deeper understanding about the ways God and the bible can help you get through anything that you are facing.
When I went on the Kairos retreat my senior year of high school, I realized how important it was to have faith in my life. I learned so much about myself, and about others in an experience that was one of the highlights of my time in high school.
Now I'll be honest, since high school ended I have not kept this close relationship with God as much as I have wanted, but this school year I have really started to focus on the things that are important to me such as family, my future, my good friends and God. Doing so has made it so much easier for me to persevere through adversity and stress when they come up, and has made the times when I feel on top of the world even more satisfying.
What makes faith so amazing is that there are quotes from scripture that can apply to almost anything from sadness, to stress, to happiness and to relationships. A few of my favorite bible verses are 1 Peter 4:8, Proverbs 3:5-6, and my favorite prayer is The Serenity Prayer. Whenever I am stressed out I will read The Serenity Prayer and it helps me relax and focus on the things I can control instead of feeling overwhelmed by things I can't change.
I know it can be hard to put faith in God when it can seem like He isn't listening or you feel like your problems are insignificant, but taking that leap of faith and placing your trust in Him is very important when trying to grow closer to God.
Learning how to grow in my faith has helped me in so many different aspects of my life lately, and I am so excited to see where God will lead me on this journey of life.
