Life is hard but God is good

Let's be real. Life is busy and life is hard. Just going to tell it like it is, it’s hard. Sometimes your life is not fair. Occasionally you will go through something, or someone will say something mean to you, or you will look around and feel like everyone is happier than you are, or you will want to just stay in your bed all day and not be with other people, or you just won’t feel confident in yourself, or you’ll convince yourself that everyone has their lives figured out and you don’t.

If you’re in college, you’re juggling a lot. You have classes, which that in itself is enough to cause a couple stress tears here and there. You have a job. You’re in a sorority or a fraternity. You have a leadership position in said sorority or fraternity. You’re involved in your church. You have a million other extracurricular activities. You have friends who want your attention. You have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Or you’re worried about not having a boyfriend or girlfriend. You have to find time to call mom occasionally so she knows you’re still alive. Occasionally you forget to eat. And Sleep becomes a rare luxury.

Then comes that awkward moment when someone asks you how you are, and even though your initial response is “I’m good, how are you,” you think about it more…and you realize you’re not doing good at all. And you feel like the only one who isn’t doing good. And you don’t know who to talk to because everyone else has their own struggles, everyone else is busy, no one will understand, people will think you’re just weak or not cut out for this college thing because you feel like you’re drowning and you can’t keep up.
 
Throughout this school year, I have learned the importance of taking care of myself. I’ve learned the importance of saying, “no” occasionally. If you know me at all, you know saying no is a hard task for me. I like to make everyone feel better. I like to help other people and take a load off of their shoulders, but I never ask for help in return. And this is not because I’m just so selfless or whatever. Actually, I’m just stubborn. I refuse to say I can’t do something. I don’t accept failure well. And sometimes, I have made myself so busy that I have no time to take care of my own mental health. I feel like I can’t talk to people because they’re all so busy with their own lives. So, busy and alone. What a combination, right?

If you’re reading this and you’re like “YES, YOU GET ME!”…Hi, let’s be friends. But really.

Breathe. Like take a deep breath and let these words sink in.

It’s okay to feel the way that you’re feeling. It’s okay to feel like you don’t have it all together. It’s okay to feel like you’re fighting a losing battle sometimes.

Wanna know why?

Because Jesus has already won.

There is no battle that you are facing that He does not already know about. There is no thought running through your head that He does not have comfort for. There is no moment when you are alone because He is always there. He cares, and He is proud of you. He sees what all you are doing. He knows how hard you work.

And He calls us to be still.

I know what you're thinking. How in the world do I have time to just be still? We literally just discussed that I have a million things going on. If you think I have time to “be still,” you’re crazy.
So yeah maybe I’m crazy on some things, but this one, nope. You need to take time for you and not feel bad about it. You need time in prayer. You need to seek refuge in the Lord. You need to rest. Rest in the fact that He is there, He loves you.

Look around you for a moment. You have people who care about you. Do not convince yourself (like I did) that people are so wrapped up in their own lives that they don’t care about yours. People are important. People are so much more important than your to-do list. So invest in people. Let people invest in you. Tell them when you’re just not okay. Don’t be afraid to ask for prayer. Let them tell you when they’re not okay. And pray for them in return and help them feel understood.
The fact of the matter is…we’re all struggling. We’ve all got something going on.

But we’re not alone in it. And it’s okay to not feel okay sometimes. But when you’re not feeling okay, remember that you’re loved. And that you’re not alone. Remember that no matter how far you run, you can’t outrun Him. Remember that He’s there. Remember that He listens and He cares. Remember that other people care, too.

College is hard. Life in general is hard. Don’t let people convince you it’s a walk in the park because it’s not. But it’s okay. You’ll be okay. Life is still good and God is still great.

You got this,
Jordyn