Three Things God Taught me in College
Location: Historic Downtown Charleston
It’s okay not to bear everyone else’s burdens.
I tend to listen well to people, which is a good thing, but that means I often internalize other people’s problems or frustrations and try to take them on as my own. And that can become unhealthy quite fast. There was a season that I was trying to juggle 5+ people’s tough situations and, at one point, I broke down crying on the phone with my mom because I couldn’t take it.
Psalm 55:22 says, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
I had to learn that I can’t bear their burdens. Only the Lord can. I am only there to point people to Him and to be His hands and feet to them. That’s all I can do. It’s only through Him and His strength.
Location: Historic Downtown Charleston
Don’t rush over the here and now in order to get to the next.
Because my boyfriend (now husband) and I were dating long-distance and attending schools over 800 miles away from each other, being at school meant not being with him. So school quickly became a place I associated with sadness and a place I wanted to get away from as quickly as possible. I would always have a countdown on my phone in anticipation of seeing each other again. But I began to realize that I was constantly looking to the next time we’d be together and neglecting the relationships and opportunities I had in front of me every day. I honestly wanted to skip over that season and wait to begin digging into relationships until after school was over. But that would have caused me to miss out on so much.
Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Ephesians 5:15-17, 20 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is speaking in light of eternity but, in this season, school felt like an eternity and so I took these verses to heart during this time. So my sophomore year took on a whole new approach to my time at school by intentionally investing and being present with the relationships I encountered in person every day.
Location: Historic Downtown Charleston
Your circumstances do not diminish or determine an attitude of joy.
We have the greatest joy and peace in Christ. This lesson was really taught to me during the end of my senior year when it felt like so much was being taken away. There was no closure to my time at school due to the shutdown. I never got to say goodbye to my classmates, friends, and professors. There were no “lasts” to soak in because we didn’t know they were our last. We left for spring break thinking we would see each other again but, over a year later, we still haven’t. As someone who likes predictability and stability, this rocked my world.
But then, over the span of a few months, I read through the book “Choosing Gratitude” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and took time to meditate on this scripture…
Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
And my perspective shifted. I realized that my circumstances do not dictate my attitude. How could I ever be uncertain if I have the God of hope giving me hope who sacrificed everything for me? I have the greatest joy ever experienced by man because of Christ. And that doesn’t change. No matter what is going on around me.