To start this off, let me just say that being involved in college is amazing! But, you must not neglect yourself, and must not let things become more important than your time along with just you and God.
I must say that I have met many new people, and have opened my eyes to so many different situations through my involvement in college. However, at the beginning of the semester, I began to neglect my 'me' time, my time with God, time to reflect on the decisions that I made that day, and just time to stop and realize what happened that day.
I then did exactly what I thought that I needed to do - I sat aside time each evening to reflect and to pray. This however, is not what I needed.
Yes, I was praying. Yes, I was reflecting. But I was forgetting one very important thing that God calls us to do. Listening. I was praying all the time, telling God this and that, and thanking Him for what happened that day, but I still felt like something was missing...
I was not listening to what God had to say and was trying to tell me. When I sat down and listened, I was able to do what I thought I had been doing all along. I began to follow a command we are given in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) - "Pray continually."
Now, to pray continuously, we must listen to what God is saying, not just ask for Him to do something, but listen to what He is telling US to do!
Listening to God will help guide us through difficult situations and lead us to making the right choices. So when the going gets tough or when things just start to get really busy, slow down and take time to listen to what God has to say. You may not always want to do what you are told due to fear of failure or fear of rejection, but God has a reason, and it is all part of his plan for your life.
Well, I spent more time on that than I expected...
The next thing that I want to touch on is a completely different topic: Diversity Awareness. Something that until recently I completely disregarded.
Diversity is something that should be respected and never looked down upon. I am not perfect, and my traditions are not either. Therefore, I do not have the authority to tell you that your ways are wrong or inappropriate.
I have begun to look at situations with an open mind and trying to see them through another persons eyes. I may not always agree with what you are doing or have done, but I will respect your decision. It is your life, and yes, I would like every person to see things the way I do, but I know that this does not happen. I will always respect your right to make a decision, now, I may not support your decision, but I will respect you and not look down on you for the decision that was made.
This is something that I could only wish for everyone to do. I believe that respect for differing opinions is a key factor to gaining respect for yourself and gaining insight into others ideas and perspectives. If everybody could respect a decision, they could then take time to understand your reasoning for doing what you did.
Perspective. The number one cause of disrespect and disagreement between parties. Once people take time to view situations through other peoples perspectives, they can begin to respect the persons decision. This will then allow for more friendships among differing people, something we can never have too much of.
I wrote all of this very quickly, and hope that it makes sense! When I have something that I want to say, I get it out!
Feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated!
