by Serena Robles – Saturday, December 22, 2012
If you've seen me around campus the last couple of weeks of the Fall semester, you'll find me in a gray hoodie, hair haphazardly pulled back into a messy bun, and walking around in old and worn slippers (not that I liked shoes to begin with). You might wonder why I didn't bother to put myself together most mornings, and I have one word for you: FINALS. I did manage to shower every day, but anything else that took away sleep time and studying time (such as looking presentable to the human world) seemed pointless when my grades were on the line.
Not only were there finals to worry about, for me, there was my job to worry about. I'm a nanny of three kids, and when I have psychology terms running through my mind, it was hard to listen to the youngest tell me about the movie "Cars" when all I thought about was the difference between cultural universality and cultural relativism.
On top of all that, my mind was racing with the thought of returning to San Diego. I have to somehow manage to cram all my junk into one suitcase weighing less than 50 lbs. and one carry on, clean my section of the apartment, figure out how much money I have to spend on gifts for friends and family, how I'm getting to the airport, who's picking me up at the airport, who I need to see and avoid (kidding about the avoiding!) when I go back to San Diego, how I'm going to get around town once at home since my car will be at school, etc.
Looking at my laundry list of stuff that seemed to jam-pack my last two weeks, I was on survival mode, meaning I just went through the motions of living, doing what I needed to do without stopping to think.
Which brings me to selah.
I have this "to-do" list next to my desk, and one of the items on my list that should be in bold and triple underlined is "praise God all day, everyday".
In my "busy" two weeks, I had to constantly remind myself to whatever stress plagued my mind and praise God.
While I was stressing over failing every final...
Selah.
I was reminded that I am priviledged to go to a great university and further my education.
When I was stressed at work...
Selah.
I am blessed to have a job with wonderfully cute kids.
When I'm worried financially or about Christmas break plans...
Selah.
I get so caught up in the little details, that I forget to dwell on the most important detail: Christmas is about God! It's not about what I "need" to accomplish during break, or what I need to buy, it's about remembering that we are given the best gift of all: Jesus Christ.
So, I don't know what you were or are stressed about, I highly encourage you to take a break and praise God. Admidst our stress, God is so good and faithful to us, therefore we must find the time to selah and rest in His goodness.
Merry Christmas!
Serena Robles is a Christ-following, book-reading, San Diego grown/Seattle dwelling Psychology major at NU! She’s often found talking to homeless people or dreaming up adventuresome shenanigans. You can peruse her Twitter/Instagram @Serena_Lan.
Serena Robles is a Christ-following, book-reading, San Diego grown/Seattle dwelling Psychology major at NU! She’s often found talking to homeless people or dreaming up adventuresome shenanigans. You can peruse her Twitter/Instagram @Serena_Lan.
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2012 by Serena Robles
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