Another semester is in the books and I only have one more left for my undergraduate work! I'm pretty excited about this because I know that a bunch of questions will be answered in regards to my future once I get into my graduate work and I can't wait to see what future God has planned for me.
Christmas Break is really special for a college student and is drastically different than summer break. You have a much longer time for summer break, but you are usually doing something like more classes, an internship, or serving somewhere. Winter break is the college student's dream of being a complete bum, eating lots of food, sleeping forever, and being around friends and family. Christmas break is also a special time, for me personally, in that it's when I celebrate the birth of my King (Not that you shouldn't always celebrate, but this is a special time and you get the point).
The holiday season is always filled with busyness for some reason. Everything has to be a "certain" way at this time of the year because it's either A) How we've always done it or B) We have a fanciful view that everything has to be PERFECT for the holidays. I love the decorations and the music and the food. Oh my goodness, yes, the food haha. Many times we try and buy the perfect gift for someone and I'm not usually a very good gift giver. I think practically for the most part and it's difficult for me to get gifts that people will actually use. Everything mixed together can add a lot of stress though, especially if you're preparing for lots of family/company to come over. Often, we miss one of the most important aspects of this time of the year though, rejoicing.
I just finished reading a book titled "Praise Habit" by David Crowder and I love the way he reads the Psalms. He rewrites certain chapters in Psalms using grammar the way he thinks (which is awesome btw) and relates them to things about his life. You get the point really quickly that there is so much Christians have to be thankful for. We serve a powerful God and I don't mean just barely more powerful than the things around us, I mean POWERFUL. Stop for a moment and just think and pray on how big God is (seriously, do it). We get so wrapped up in the now, temporary things and they don't even begin to compare to the scheme of eternity and the plans that God has for us. That's something I've always kind of struggled with is the plans God has for me.
Many Christians could give you a reference of some sort to Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you'--this is the Lord's declaration 'plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" This is something that's easy for us to find comfort and security in knowing that God has something planned that we could never imagine. We often skip over the next couple of verses though which are just as important. "You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you..." Jeremiah 29:12-14a In order to experience the full joy that God has to offer us, there is a bit of searching on our part that is required. He isn't trying to hide from us though! He says "I will be found by you." What an incredible promise from someone who is so powerful!
Maybe you're in a place right now where you are wondering where God wants to lead you. I often wonder about the plans God has for me. I wonder when God will place my future spouse in my life and how that relationship will blossom. Something that God's really taught me is that His timing is always perfect and I can't wait for Him to work out whatever He has planned. I remember in 8th grade at M-Fuge I really felt God telling me to play guitar. I had no clue why, but I knew He wanted me to do it. I picked it up off and on for a couple of years, never really being that serious about it. I tried picking it back up before I went off to college. When I got to the U of A and involved with Thrive I finally understood why. He opened up an opportunity for me to help lead worship and it has been an absolute joy for me to do so the past 3 years of my life as I've grown with my friends. I also know that God wants me to play in a worship band later on in my life when I settle down somewhere for my career. God's plans are perfect and we don't have to understand everything that's going on, but we can find joy in knowing God is in control.
Rejoice my friends for the time we've been given on earth. It will be short-lived and then we will go to be with our Father in heaven for eternity. That is, if you've accepted Him as Lord of your life. If you haven't and you're reading this, please contact me and I would love to share with you the reason I have joy and the reason I can give praise to something that is far greater and bigger than I will ever be. Accepting Christ as my Lord has been the greatest decision of my life and my relationship with Him is a constant work-in-progress. Whatever you're going through right now, know that God is there. He is fighting fiercely for us with His furious love and He is always faithful. "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13
In Love,
Bill
