Recently, I have been feeling like I'm in a stuck place in my life, and what I mean by this is that I am not at a super happy place, but I am also not at a low place either. Instead I feel like I am sitting still, watching everyone pass me and I don't know where to go spiritually. There are so many ideas and plans that I want to do, but do not know how or when I am going to be able to fit them all into my life. I know that I have my whole life ahead of me, but since I'm in college these are the years to make the best memories. My faith is an important part of my life, so I trust that God is leading me down the path He has for me, it is just hard to feel the way I feel right now and try to not take matters into my hands.
Last year I was experiencing so many new things and God was opening so many doors for me and I would characterize that particular season of my life as being on a spiritual high. Meaning that last year was filled with so many great pieces like spiritual growth for myself, making relationships with role models that are faithful and inspiring to me and even the chance to go on a mission trip. Once the school year was ending, I wanted more of those thrilling feelings to keep coming.
Coming into my second year at college was still exciting, but I knew that I couldn't have the same expectations from last year for this new chapter even though I really wanted to. Thankfully I have such a supportive and loving body of people in my life to walk with me when I am confused, frustrated and lost because when I feel that way the best thing to do is to be with the people that can support and pray with you. God has put in my heart that there is a time for everything and that each season has a purpose. This was something that I needed to be reminded of because He is sovereign and will not leave us in the dark or feeling stuck, and He will not put us through something that did not have a purpose.
As I am growing into the person God created me to be I am forming new relationships with different people. In college I have met so many amazing people and those of which include my sorority sisters, believers in the Christian community where I live, college students from different universities that I have met through mission trips or ministry retreats and even people in the Hattiesburg community. The close friends that I had before coming to college are still great people, but I have now been understanding that God can place people in our lives for a certain time and that is okay. It doesn't mean that those people are no longer important, but instead have different paths to adventure on.
I hope that by sharing what I am going through and how it is not perfect or always thrilling will encourage you to take a look at where you are in your life and listen to what God is telling you. He has a plan for you and that plan will have different seasons, meaning some parts will be thrilling, others may be hard which is why having a supportive community to walk with you is so important, and some parts of the journey will be neutral. In James 5:10-11 it states "Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." This verse sticks out to me because it shows that God is a God who cares and fulfills his promises even when I feel stuck.
