Resting

Mondays are my busiest days. I have five different classes, and there's also a wonderful women's accountability group that I attend in the evening. It can get rather hectic, especially when I try to do everything at once. :)

 Currently, I'm sitting at my desk, drinking Earl Grey and eating a dark chocolate waffer. I just finished studying for a quiz in biology tomorrow (although I'll probably freak out and try some cramming later). I rewrote notes from my classes, and read Wednesday's English assignment. I'm feeling very productive and (relatively) relaxed.

Earlier this afternoon, though, I was anything but. I was very overwhelmed, and my attention span was about the same as it was when I was four years old. I was stressed because of the amount of reading that I just wasn't able to focus on. I was texting my mom about how upset I was, and she said that my father suggested that I go for a walk. "Maybe take a break of a few minutes or maybe an hour."

I was a little dubious. If I didn't feel like I had time to take a nap, how could I have time to go for a leisurely stroll? But I threw my keys and earbuds into my bag, grabbed my phone, and walked until I found an inviting bench.

It was peaceful. I listened to a couple of praise songs on my phone. I read some Bible verses.

I rested.

After about twenty minutes, I gathered my things and walked back to the dorm. The tasks ahead hadn't changed. Edgar Allan Poe hadn't suddenly changed the tone of his stories. The situation hadn't changed at all.

But I had.

It wasn't absolutely life-changing, my short time on that bench. But it changed my mindset from, "I don't know how I can get everything done!" to, "God is here with me." And with God, it is easy to conquer anything from reading half of a chapter of biology to staying awake a little longer without consuming a gallon of coffee.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," Colossians 3:23 (NIV)