Monday, October 28, 2013

When the busy day ends...

I must admit, I'm taking it easy this semester. I only have a few required classes left, so I've been been taking less classes than the average load, and I'm also working less hours than I used to. And being a senior, I feel entitled to claim the horrible disease known as "senioritis."I get to be lazy and just not care because, well, I'm graduating in a few months.

Before you start feeling sorry for me, there are those rare occasions when I actually have a lot of work to do. This weekend was one of them.

Let me give you a rundown, just so you understand. Friday night I finished reading a book for my research project and went to The Great Gatsby with my friends (that clearly was a necessary activity). Saturday morning I volunteered at The Salvation Army, and in the afternoon I went to work at Baldwin. But you quit there, you say? I made a deal, so I get to go in every Saturday and decorate the dessert table for Sunday brunch! Isaac (my replacement) wasn't as enthused about decorating as I am. Then my friends picked me up and we drove all over for several hours taking pictures (some of which are shown here, in case you were wondering what the random pictures had to do with this). After that I had to go take pictures for The Sojourn and then I got in bed and edited them. Sunday, I woke up bright and early for church, got stuck on the way home when the van's tire (and spare tire) lost its tread, wrote an essay for my group project, met with my group, and filmed a video for a friend's project. Then I had to edit that project, write an essay for Chemistry, do all my other chemistry homework, and study for my test, which took place today after my presentation at 7:50 this morning. The day did not end until after Turbo Kick at 7 tonight. Well I guess technically the day still hasn't ended, but here I am sitting in these last few hours of today, taking a deep breath after the crazy weekend and wondering what the point of it all was?


Obviously there was a point to it all. Taking pictures for friends, writing essays for a school assignment, studying so I would understand chemistry (which I don't). But I guess I just felt so distracted these last few days, caught up in things that are not the most important part of life. Perhaps it's just that I lost focus. I mean, did I take time to spend with God? No. And I don't mean for this to be cliche, saying that I had a rough weekend because I ignored God and did too many other things, but what I am saying is that these things we stress so much about are not that significant after they're finished. The presentation and papers that my mind was wrapped around all weekend, they're gone now and they haven't left me with anything. It's not that they are pointless, it's just that they don't need to consume me. They don't rule my life; my life is worth more than a paper or a test grade or even the photos I took for my friends. And now that I am done and once again am struggling to find something worth doing, my life is not any less valuable. Through it all I want to have an attitude like Jesus, an attitude of peace in all of the circumstances, an attitude of contentment.

My favorite Bible verse is: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

I used to quote this verse to myself when I was in high school. Whenever I had a hard work load or a presentation (those are the worst!), I would pause and run through this verse in my head. When I got to the last sentence, I would slow down and savor those words, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, and I would have a sense of peace, that God was with me and that everything would end up ok. Because it did, didn't it? I don't believe that I have any lasting effects of horrible presentations and bad grades haunting me today.

My prayer for you is that you would know the peace of God in any and all circumstances. In the busy days and the workless nights. In the calm and the storm, and everything in-between.

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