The school year is in full swing, and the fall semester is already speeding by. The hustle and bustle has already begun and the busyness can feel consuming.
College students often have a hard time getting their footing each semester. Some students are new, some are returning. Some have moved states away, whereas others drive two minutes up the road for class. Some have to navigate long distance relationships, while others have left those connections to start a new chapter in their lives.
After high school, I knew where I would go for college, but that was the only piece in my life that felt stable. In all honesty, I did not see how God would make a way for my life after graduation. When I showed up on campus for my first semester of college, I was anxious, homesick and lonely. I felt completely hopeless and desperate.
There are students across campus who feel this way right now. Here is my word of encouragement to those students: You are not alone and it will get better. Isolation is deceptively appealing. It attracts us when we are vulnerable, and it lures students into its web of despair. The best thing for someone adjusting to a new environment is to immerse themselves in it. Make friends with classmates, join a club, go to events and reach out to people. Remember your constants. Whether your life has changed drastically or remained stable, God is constant.
Hebrews 13 simply states: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
We can adapt to change, but in the middle of a storm, we need something to hold onto. If we root ourselves in Christ and remember He is constant, we can have confidence in facing these storms. Through busyness, change and insecurity, we can still have joy. When we root ourselves in that truth, the rest will follow. Starting a new season always has an element of fear, but it does not need to stay that way. Make new friends, step into new opportunities and trust that God cannot be uprooted.