Abundant Life
The week before semester finals is accurately termed "dead week". I think the administration calls it that because there are supposed to be a reduced number of extracurricular activities. If the campus is "dead", perhaps all the students will be more motivated to study.
However, we students know it as "dead week" for a totally different reason. After a whole week of assignments, last minute tests, project deadlines, and due dates...you feel practically dead. Living on five hours of sleep and extreme doses of caffeine doesn't really help.
By the end of this dead week, I definitely felt the affects of stress, overexertion, and information overload. Once all the duties of the week had been accomplished, there was only one thing I wanted to do. So I hung my hammock on the front lawn of campus, kicked off my shoes, and took a deep breath. I finally had nothing to think about and nothing to do.
As I watched the clouds drift gently across the pale blue sky, my thoughts gently drifted back over the semester's events. I reflected on everything that I had learned and experienced during my sophomore year. I remembered going to the World Mission Workshop, the Passion Conference, Hawaii, and Honduras for a mission trip. This year I joined a social club, started nursing clinicals, and plugged into a local church. I made new friends, attended new devotionals, and watched God work in the lives of my family members in huge ways. I fell more in love with Jesus than ever before. I can't believe how much God has taught me and shown me about myself and Himself through this year.
Just when I think that I understand how big and awesome God is, He pulls back the curtain to reveal a bigger picture of His character. He blows my mind again and again because I can never grasp the depth of His love and greatness of His power. Just when I think I have reached the mountaintop of spiritual experience, He opens the floodgates to draw me even deeper into His heart. He never ceases to amaze me!
Even though this semester has been challenging and exhausting, I look back and realize how much God has worked in my life. I encourage you to do the same sometime this week. Find a hammock spot, take a walk, or just get away for a little while to reflect on the past year. What has God been doing in your life? Consider your experiences, highlights, and mile-markers. What has He been teaching you or revealing to you? Take a break from your "dead week" to reflect on the life that God has given you. An abundant life in Christ doesn't mean that everything is perfect, but that God is present in your life, filling you with joy in the midst of suffering and peace in the midst of pain. Even in hardship, God still floods us with His love. He never stops being a perfect sustainer and shepherd. Life is abundant because Christ is with us to help us, guide us, and remain faithful to us no matter what.
"I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10
Sometime this week, I encourage you to spend intentional time relaxing and reflecting. Look beyond the stress and struggle to see something more. Christ has given us fullness of life.
However, we students know it as "dead week" for a totally different reason. After a whole week of assignments, last minute tests, project deadlines, and due dates...you feel practically dead. Living on five hours of sleep and extreme doses of caffeine doesn't really help.
By the end of this dead week, I definitely felt the affects of stress, overexertion, and information overload. Once all the duties of the week had been accomplished, there was only one thing I wanted to do. So I hung my hammock on the front lawn of campus, kicked off my shoes, and took a deep breath. I finally had nothing to think about and nothing to do.
As I watched the clouds drift gently across the pale blue sky, my thoughts gently drifted back over the semester's events. I reflected on everything that I had learned and experienced during my sophomore year. I remembered going to the World Mission Workshop, the Passion Conference, Hawaii, and Honduras for a mission trip. This year I joined a social club, started nursing clinicals, and plugged into a local church. I made new friends, attended new devotionals, and watched God work in the lives of my family members in huge ways. I fell more in love with Jesus than ever before. I can't believe how much God has taught me and shown me about myself and Himself through this year.
Just when I think that I understand how big and awesome God is, He pulls back the curtain to reveal a bigger picture of His character. He blows my mind again and again because I can never grasp the depth of His love and greatness of His power. Just when I think I have reached the mountaintop of spiritual experience, He opens the floodgates to draw me even deeper into His heart. He never ceases to amaze me!
Even though this semester has been challenging and exhausting, I look back and realize how much God has worked in my life. I encourage you to do the same sometime this week. Find a hammock spot, take a walk, or just get away for a little while to reflect on the past year. What has God been doing in your life? Consider your experiences, highlights, and mile-markers. What has He been teaching you or revealing to you? Take a break from your "dead week" to reflect on the life that God has given you. An abundant life in Christ doesn't mean that everything is perfect, but that God is present in your life, filling you with joy in the midst of suffering and peace in the midst of pain. Even in hardship, God still floods us with His love. He never stops being a perfect sustainer and shepherd. Life is abundant because Christ is with us to help us, guide us, and remain faithful to us no matter what.
"I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10
Sometime this week, I encourage you to spend intentional time relaxing and reflecting. Look beyond the stress and struggle to see something more. Christ has given us fullness of life.
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