Thought for the Day:
Often times I look around and I wonder what is good and what is bad in this world and then I think to myself... at one point in time are they not the same?
I've thought of unfairness quite often this week.
"Why did she get a better grade than I? I'm the better student!"
"How come Freshmen get housing and I don't? I've been here longer!"
"I'm a better person than she is, why is it that she found a place to live before I did?!"
It was as if the same amount of bitterness came out of my mouth as did prayer. I was asking God all the wrong questions.
I have been suffering with a nasty stomach bug all week as well as trying to find a cheap place to live that is close to my campus. Plus trying to finish up my junior year of college. This has been a stressful week yet all I have seemed to do was blame the fortunate ones around me.
This morning I woke early to finish a paper and do a bit of chores around the apartment. I sat at my desk and simply began to pray. That's when the Lord spoke to me.
He reminded me about the passage in Matthew 19:16-17:
"Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?'
'Why do you ask me about what is good?' Jesus replied. 'There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.'"
I had been so caught up in what was good that I had forgotten that there was only One who was GOOD. As I let God speak to me and bring me back to reality I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders! The stress of finding a place to live, worrying about who got a better grade than me, who got a house or apartment before I did, and stressing about if I will get a B in my classes or not was all gone. The Maker of the universe has my life under control.
Many times we try so hard to measure ourselves up to someone else's successes when really our triumphs are all handled by the Lord above. So when my sun shines it shines because the Lord allowed it. When I wake up in the morning and taste that fresh air it's because my Father allowed it to be so.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
I woke up this morning stressed and thinking I wasn't good but now I am alive again thanks to my Lord and Savior on this very very
GOOD FRIDAY!
Have you ever had one of those weeks where it seems like you're traveling through a long dark tunnel that has no light at the end?
Welcome to the beginning of my April!
Let me take you day-by-day on this journey. I'll skip Sunday for two reasons:
1. I can't really recall all that happened that day.
2. Because I can't recall what happened it must not have been all that bad. Thus, not worth telling.
That brings us to MONDAY!
The day started off really great! I was busy as usual and had a million things running through the to-do list in my head.
Everyday had it's ups and it's downs. The "up" to this day was that I got to talk to my sister for an hour on the phone. I hardly ever get to speak to her because she lives almost three hours away! She told me about this thing called the Polar Plunge that she was nominated for.
** Once you're nominated you have 24 hrs to submerge yourself into an ice cold body of water and it must be videoed! Then donate $10 to the charity of your choice. If you don't complete the challenge then you have to donate $25 to a charity.
Well I was on my way to class when I get a notification from Facebook saying my sister has tagged me in a picture. So, I checked it out and of course... I've been nominated. Quickly I go through that to-do list one more time and the only chance I have to complete this challenge in NOW. I call every surrounding friend I have and find out who can video me doing this and what bodies of water we have close by. So finally my best friend, Dianna agrees to take me to the river.
Here is the result:
Obviously that did not go so well... And here is a little secret about me... I'm a bit scared of drowning.
That night I was writing a paper for one of my classes that was due the next day and my computer decided to stop working. Yes... stop working. The joys of technology! I tried everything to get it working again but nothing helped. So I decided to go down to the library and use one of those computers. By this time it was 30 minutes until midnight. One of my roommates came into my room and let me know that the library was closing tonight AT midnight.
Convenient.
So.. That was Monday. I went to bed hoping and praying that I would wake up in the morning and the next day everything would be better.
Then I traveled into TUESDAY!
I woke up at 7 am so I would have time to type my paper in the library, turn it in online, take my computer to IT, and still have time to make it to my first class. Everything was going so smoothly! The morning was incredibly productive! I ended up writing TWO papers, getting my computer to IT, and still having time to go back to my apartment and eat a bit of breakfast before class.
But then I had my second class... Sensation & Perception with a professor that he and I share a common dislike for one another. He had given us the wrong exam the week before and was suppose to give us back the exam today for us to go over and listen to him explain. Instead... the class decided to explain for him and he decided to talk about why women are now allowed to ride on airplanes.
Well, this girl was already stressed out of her mind with a crashed laptop, papers needing to be turned in, extra credit due Thursday, Today being her boyfriend's 22nd birthday, working tonight, and no way to get anything done. So this confusion and everyone talking over everyone was simply not going to work!
After an hour and 15 minutes of my blood rushing and my brain about to explode the extra credit due Thursday was FINALLY explained and the exam was finally gone over and I was the first one out the door.
Then it was off to work! Messy hair and a baggy shirt. Not really dress code but I was too frustrated to care.
But before I can ever get there I have to explain my bank.
I was getting ready for work and making some dinner when I realized I needed to get gas before I headed to work. So I got online and checked my bank account. I knew I should've had some money in both my checking and savings accounts. But when I looked I had $4 in checking and barely $100 in savings. My heart SANK! I had service charges on my Student Account!!!
So, I immediately called the bank just to find out that they have been charging me for every time I made a deposit into my account. So if I transfer money from my savings into my checking I get charged. THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP!
I thank God for the amazing parents I have though! I texted my Deddy worried to death and he and my Momma handled it a lot more calmly than I had. They gave me enough money to get me through the week and stop my crying.
THEN I was off to work. That is where I found out that I wasn't the only one having a looooong two days. Seemed like everyone was having a dark cloud following them. So after work I made a cup of coffee, got a long hot shower, and went straight to bed.
THURSDAY!
I skipped Wednesday because I'm pretty sure I blacked it out for a reason. Not sure why but I can't remember that one either.
Thursday morning was just chaos!
I woke early because I knew I had a lot to do. Still no computer!
Today was registration day!!!
(Summer and Fall 2014)
At noon I typed in all the classes I desperately needed in order to graduate college Spring 2015. And no surprise with the week I have been having... I got none of them!
No time to cry though because today was also extra credit day in Sensation & Perception! I had 10 minutes to run across and take my make up exam. I grabbed my belongings and flew out the door. The exam was a lot harder than I had anticipated so I'm nervous to get my grade back this Tuesday. But fingers crossed!
Afterward I headed straight for the Psychology Secretary's office and was put on the waiting list for all the classes I needed in the Fall. A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Then I was finally able to pick up my computer!!!
After ALL the school stuff was finally over I packed up my car and headed down to see my boyfriend to finally celebrate his birthday! The chaos of my day, while it was short lived yet horrifying, was finally over! I had a full tank of gas, a beautiful day, and a handsome man waiting on my arrival.
SATURDAY!
Friday was fun. I got to spend it with Joel and buy him his awesome birthday present. Then drive home to spend the night with my parents.
Saturday morning my sister, brother-in-law, my parents, and I all woke up at 2:30 am and left the house at 3 am in order to be in Atlanta by 6 am for the COLOR RUN!!!
My sister, Misti, and her family joined us as well. It was unbelievably fun!
After the run though I went to put my diamond rings back on and... they were no where to be found. I was the idiot that put them in her hoodie pocket and THEN took her hoodie off. They were gone. My purity ring given to me on my 16th birthday by my father and my promise ring given to me by Joel on our first Christmas together. Both of my most sentimental rings gone forever. Stolen at the Color Run. The most fun day I have had in a LONG time OF COURSE blackened by something so horrifying happening.
* * *
This morning I was straightening my hair getting ready work. We have bible verses on posted notes on our mirror in the bathroom. One of the posted notes reads:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
I have been so weary and incredibly heavy laden! There is a song that says "Lord, I need You now!" That's all I've been saying since I woke up this morning. LORD, I NEED YOU NOW!!! I don't need physical rest. I need mental, emotional, and spiritual rest. I know someone out there needs it as well. So if you're reading this and you've had a week similar to mine then please know... You're not alone.
