Just Listen

What do you do when someone shares their sorrow with you?

While no one has shared their deepest darkest sorrow with me, they have hinted to their feelings. Usually, I'm at a loss about what I'm supposed to do. Should I pray with them? Should I change the subject to a happier one? Should I say I know how they feel, or share a similar experience?

I think part of this is our culture's need to react or respond quickly. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just listen. Don't try to fix their problems. Just listen. Hold their hand, cry with them.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." Romans 12:15

I usually don't think about being quiet and listening. Sometimes someone else's problem may not seem like a big deal to you. The thing is, they are in a dark moment. Be in the moment with them, for just a second. If you were in their shoes, you would feel the weight of the sorrow they are currently experiencing.

If you were in a dark place, and you shared your pain with someone, wouldn't you want them to just understand for a minute? They want the same thing, even if it's something silly.

After they come out of that dark place, after all the fear and sorrow is over, they will look back and realize either it wasn't that bad after all, or they will just be happy they made it through. But the one thing they will remember the most is not what you said, but how you treated them, how you sat beside them, held their hand, listened, and cried with them. That is a better comfort, a better gift, than anything you could say.

~Elizabeth :)

Jesus Loves You! <3

School Update!

In my post "It's been a while...", I mentioned that I was taking four Summer classes. For those of you that don't know, Summer college courses are condensed from their normal semester schedules of 16 weeks down to 5 weeks. Summer is also divided into two sessions, Summer 1 and Summer 2. The school only allows a student to take two classes a session because of the crammed schedule. I took two classes during both Summer 1 and 2, for a total of four classes. Each session only had a day between for rest, and then a week before the Fall semester starts.
I was very nervous, to say the least. As far as I know, no one ever takes four Summer classes. I did this because it meant I could graduate with my degree this December, on time with the program. Otherwise, it would be another semester before I could look for a job. I knew this was the right course of action, but I was feeling terrified that it would be too much, that I would somehow fail. I couldn't afford to fail.
But everything fell in place. I easily signed up for the classes and the schedule worked. I had to remind myself what I had decided almost two years ago, a month before classes started, that I was going to fully trust God with my education. I would leave it in His hands, and I wasn't going to freak out and quit.
Classes started, and it felt like a whirlwind. I was constantly at my computer day and night. If I took a day break and did my homework at night, I ended up staying awake all night long to catch up. The first five weeks certainly taught me how to better manage my time. I needed to start earlier in the day or I was going to keep making myself sick catching up.
That one day between the Summer sessions was wonderful! I relaxed and caught up on sleep. Then I got back to work the next day, implementing the time management skills I had learned just a couple of days before.
Now, here I am, at the end of the off week between Summer and Fall. I look back now and I think, that wasn't so bad after all. In the moment it was highly stressful. But now I'm thankful I went through with it. God was certainly there by my side, because I was somehow able to finish with flying colors.

Now I just have the final semester to complete. My final Jedi trial, if you will, is Portfolio. This class is all about time management, with over 20 projects and one deadline that closes the semester, it has been described by all upperclassmen as the hardest class of the program. In addition to this class and the other two, less stressful, required classes, I have to take a remedial math course with College Algebra.
However, I am ready. I am excited about the upcoming final semester. I can think of several reasons why I'm excited about school starting Monday morning when everyone I know is stressing hard: it's the last semester, and I have some high goals; it means I'm just four months away from looking for a job and buying my first car; there's just something about this school that I like, and I am probably going to miss it.
It's an exciting time in my life, and I am so thankful I decided to trust God with all of it!

~Elizabeth :)
Jesus Loves You! <3

It's been a while...

A quick note regarding the post below:
I wrote this post you are about to read in May, but I never got around to posting it. Here it is now. Be sure to come back for more very soon.
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It has been quite some time since I wrote anything on here, and it's probably because I really don't know what to write about.

I could talk about how I'm rediscovering my love of reading, writing, and drawing. I haven't done any of them in quite some time, but, pretty soon I'm going to be doing a lot of that, I don't know if I'll really want to though (because it'll all be for school).

I could talk about how much I have learned about interdependency and how people need each other, and it's a shame when people don't help each other or allow someone to help them.

I could talk about how I'm terrified about my upcoming classes. I'm registered for four Summer classes (a full load) and the final semester which may include College Algebra. I'm terrible with math! There are other things I have to consider when deciding what to do with my math requirement, but that's all a story for another time.

In light of the previous paragraph, I could also talk about how I'm having to remind myself that God has been in control of all my recent higher education.

I could talk about my first discussion about Jesus with an Atheist. This conversation was a long time coming, and I feel that there's more to come.

I could talk about how financial struggles are reigniting themselves just as they were becoming controllable.

I could talk about all these things, and more. But I'm not going to. The thing is, I really didn't realize all these things I just mentioned were going on at the same time until I started writing this post. Now I know why I've been so tired, sick, and just downright stressed. And I could continue by saying what I usually always say, "It's ok, God's got this. He's got me and my family in His hands. Just give it all to Him." Then I could go on, smiling, feeling good about myself and how I encouraged my readers. But the thing is that is usually easier said than done.

The thing is my priorities are jumbled and I don't always have it together. No matter how much I try I will always fall short of the goal. I will always forget what I tell others. I am not good enough for anything. I am insufficient on my own. And that's the point. It's not about me. I'm not supposed to check off an item from my holy checklist each day and feel satisfied in my self-righteousness. I pursue things that I probably shouldn't. Spend money I probably shouldn't. And these make me feel inadequate for everything when I fail at one thing. But in the end, it's not about me and what I have learned. It's about God and what He's done.

I came on here with the intent to talk about how I'm sticking it out with school, even if it means what I thought the plan was is not what it actually is. And I may talk later about each of the aforementioned thoughts later. But, as I started typing, I felt like I just needed to be more real for a moment. I'm in a season of my life where I feel kind of stuck in the middle. I'll have a high point where I made straight As. And then I'll have a low point where I can't pass a math test for the second time. I'll have a high point where I talked about Jesus with a non-believer, and then I don't make the time to study my Bible.

I am very human, just like you, and just like you, I need Jesus every day. He's the ONLY one keeping me from falling apart. And I just want you to know Him like I do. He loves you and is waiting for you to respond to His calling. There will be good days and bad days. There will be days that are neutral. But what they all have in common is that God is in each one of them, and He's right beside you through it all, even if it doesn't seem like it. And that's the point. Jesus is the point in everything.

~With Love, Elizabeth