When Life Is Tough

Hey Girls,
I would like to share something with you that I've been going through...maybe you can relate and it will encourage you ;)

So...I've officially survived my first month of college. Let me tell you, it was not easy! I am a nursing major, and they say that nursing students experience more emotions than they know is possible. It's true! The workload is overwhelming and much of the information goes over your head. It is definitely not a "fun" major.

Anyway...I entered college with high hopes and grand plans of enjoying my freshman year. That isn't to say I thought it'd be a walk in the park, but I had no idea what I was about to face. To sum it up, this past month has been the toughest of my life. I have been through all kinds of emotional highs and lows. I have been in times where I cry out to God, thinking I can't go on another day, and I've been in times where I'm rejoicing in His plan for me. My head is still spinning with the amount of work ahead of me for the next few years. It is a blessing that I have such a supportive family.

All that to say, what do you do when you're in a tough spot in life and can't tell heads from tails? When it feels like you're alone, the world is on your shoulders, and God is nowhere to be found? When you fall asleep crying into your pillow, hoping to make it through another day? When you question God's plan for your life?

I've been through all that, and there's no magic or easy answer. But I do know that God is faithful even as I experience all kinds of emotions. I still feel like I could lose hold on my calm at any moment, but I've come to the realization that God is bigger. He is bigger than my education. He is bigger than my hopes and plans and dreams. He is bigger than my 4.0 (hopefully a 4.0...lol). He is bigger than my nursing career.


Are you going through something that seems insurmountable and that requires every ounce of strength you have? What motivates you? Personally, God's strength is my lifesaver. I would be a total goner if I didn't have Christ as my foundation. In addition to that, I have had to change my focus on school totally. Instead of expecting to have fun and enjoy my college years (focusing on me), my motivation has changed. When I feel sick over the amount of work I have, or confused about something I'm learning, I remember that when I'm done with school, I will be able to more effectively help the lost. As an aspiring medical missionary, I picture the sick and needy adults and children I will be able to help in other countries once I make it through school. It's no longer about me! I don't have to force myself to study because I enjoy it, but because I will be able to help others! 


Have any one of you gone through a similar experience? I'd love to hear it ;) May we all learn to rely COMPLETELY on God's strength even during the blackest of nights. 


~Megan




Megan Brainerd, from New York, is a busy nursing student who loves to hang out with her friends, read, and play the piano :) Her email is piano93@verizon.net.