I don't know about you, but there are a lot of times when I have a strong impression to do or say something that seems really absurd or weird. During situations like this, it is easy to justify not acting on these promptings for fear of rejection or judgement. Such justification does not get rid of the regret that you feel later on for not acting when you felt you should.
Why the random intro? Because I have felt prompted to write this post {and another one} for quite some time. I was very hesitant to though. I'm the kind of person that likes to keep things light and cheerful. I get scared of getting too deep because of the potential negative consequences it can have. Horrible way of looking at it, I know.
That's what this post is. Deep. For me at least. I hope that the person who this is meant to help or inspire or whatever will appreciate it.
So last semester was probably one of the hardest for me. The combination of classes, work, and life just made it more difficult than I ever expected it to be.
Although the semester started off well, about half way through, things began to fall apart. In the midst of everything, my school work suffered a little bit. Ok, a lot. There were days, and even weeks, when I couldn't focus on anything. My homework was mediocre at best; my test prep was not much better. This isn't to mention the fact that I got stuck in Salt Lake the day I was supposed to be writing a huge research paper. I seriously thought I was going to fail all of my classes. Literally fail. That is something I have NEVER done. As hard as it was for me, I gradually began to accept it as yet another consequence of everything that had happened.
As finals week approached, my lack of preparation earlier caused me serious stress as I strove to finish things I should have been working on throughout the semester. I had no time to begin studying for finals until finals week began. Now, I understand that's what a lot of students do, but not me. I'm the kind of person that needs to be prepared. Over-prepared... As in, I pack for trips days before I leave. And when it comes to finals, I tend to start studying the week before they actually start. I knew that I had to do well in order to pass. Because I didn't know exactly how well though, I did what any self-respecting college student would do in my situation: I calculated the lowest score I needed to pass each class.
To my surprise, my grades were not bad. As a matter of fact, they were actually pretty good... As in, I was sitting at an A or an A- in all of my classes.
Wat.
I seriously don't know how that happened. I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm also trying to figure out how I managed to do well on all of my finals too. Whereas before, I thought I was going to fail them all, I managed to pass with better grades than I could have ever imagined.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a tender mercy. Heavenly Father was looking out for me. He knew how important it was for me to do well. Although other parts of my life felt like a tornado had come through followed by a volcano and finished off by a hurricane, He knew that passing my classes was just what I needed to help give me hope that things would get better. That isn't to say that I didn't do my part though. I studied like crazy. I did everything I could do, and He filled in the gaps that I couldn't fill in on my own.
I know He is looking out for all of us. He cares deeply about what we are going through. He suffered for our sins and our tribulations. Because of this, He knows best how to comfort us because He already went through it. He descended below all so that He could lift us up.
I understand that Christmas is over, but that is no reason to forget about it and what it represents. Since the new year is like a new beginning, I invite each of you to take this opportunity to do something that you maybe haven't done in the past. Try looking for the tender mercies in your lives. They are there. They can be as small as hearing a baby laugh or running into an old friend. They can be as big as having your heart's desire come to pass. If you've already been looking out for them, great! Maybe help others see them too.
Remember who they come from though. Remember that you have a loving Heavenly Father who loves you and wants you to know that He has not forsaken you. He is always there for you. Sometimes He is even carrying you because your burdens are too much. Look for Him and you will find Him. Times may be hard now, but better times are on the horizon; we just have to be patient.
Don't forget, the darkest hour is just before the dawn.
Why the random intro? Because I have felt prompted to write this post {and another one} for quite some time. I was very hesitant to though. I'm the kind of person that likes to keep things light and cheerful. I get scared of getting too deep because of the potential negative consequences it can have. Horrible way of looking at it, I know.
That's what this post is. Deep. For me at least. I hope that the person who this is meant to help or inspire or whatever will appreciate it.
So last semester was probably one of the hardest for me. The combination of classes, work, and life just made it more difficult than I ever expected it to be.
Although the semester started off well, about half way through, things began to fall apart. In the midst of everything, my school work suffered a little bit. Ok, a lot. There were days, and even weeks, when I couldn't focus on anything. My homework was mediocre at best; my test prep was not much better. This isn't to mention the fact that I got stuck in Salt Lake the day I was supposed to be writing a huge research paper. I seriously thought I was going to fail all of my classes. Literally fail. That is something I have NEVER done. As hard as it was for me, I gradually began to accept it as yet another consequence of everything that had happened.
As finals week approached, my lack of preparation earlier caused me serious stress as I strove to finish things I should have been working on throughout the semester. I had no time to begin studying for finals until finals week began. Now, I understand that's what a lot of students do, but not me. I'm the kind of person that needs to be prepared. Over-prepared... As in, I pack for trips days before I leave. And when it comes to finals, I tend to start studying the week before they actually start. I knew that I had to do well in order to pass. Because I didn't know exactly how well though, I did what any self-respecting college student would do in my situation: I calculated the lowest score I needed to pass each class.
To my surprise, my grades were not bad. As a matter of fact, they were actually pretty good... As in, I was sitting at an A or an A- in all of my classes.
Wat.
I seriously don't know how that happened. I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm also trying to figure out how I managed to do well on all of my finals too. Whereas before, I thought I was going to fail them all, I managed to pass with better grades than I could have ever imagined.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a tender mercy. Heavenly Father was looking out for me. He knew how important it was for me to do well. Although other parts of my life felt like a tornado had come through followed by a volcano and finished off by a hurricane, He knew that passing my classes was just what I needed to help give me hope that things would get better. That isn't to say that I didn't do my part though. I studied like crazy. I did everything I could do, and He filled in the gaps that I couldn't fill in on my own.
I know He is looking out for all of us. He cares deeply about what we are going through. He suffered for our sins and our tribulations. Because of this, He knows best how to comfort us because He already went through it. He descended below all so that He could lift us up.
I understand that Christmas is over, but that is no reason to forget about it and what it represents. Since the new year is like a new beginning, I invite each of you to take this opportunity to do something that you maybe haven't done in the past. Try looking for the tender mercies in your lives. They are there. They can be as small as hearing a baby laugh or running into an old friend. They can be as big as having your heart's desire come to pass. If you've already been looking out for them, great! Maybe help others see them too.
Remember who they come from though. Remember that you have a loving Heavenly Father who loves you and wants you to know that He has not forsaken you. He is always there for you. Sometimes He is even carrying you because your burdens are too much. Look for Him and you will find Him. Times may be hard now, but better times are on the horizon; we just have to be patient.
Don't forget, the darkest hour is just before the dawn.
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