As the end of the Uni semester draws near, all my lecturers are talking constantly about the ‘big final assessment’ that is due for each subject. My instinct has been, ‘I have to start right now!... I need to get this done!!’. But what the lecturers don’t realise (or remember) is that scattered between all 4 subjects, I have a long list of smaller assignments that are due sooner and need to get done first. I was starting to feel very overwhelmed and stressed at how I was supposed to get both the big assessments as well as all the little ones, but something God keeps reminding me of, is to just take 1 day and 1 assessment at a time. To just focus on what is right in front of me today. As I was reflecting through all of this, it struck me that there are strong parallels to so much of my life.
Patience has never been something that has come easily to me - whether it’s something that I am looking forward to, or something that I am dreading and just wanting it to be over, countdowns are my best friend. But just like if I focused on these big assessments due in a few weeks now, instead of the small things that are due this week, and could potentially miss the deadlines, and create last minute stress getting them done in time and the order would be upside down. If I focus so much on what life could look like in 5, 10 or 20 years, I miss what is going on right now and miss opportunities to learn what God has placed right in front of me. Don’t get me wrong, it is super important to have goals, vision and direction for your life, but there needs to be a balance of ‘right now’ and ‘what is to come’. Focusing too much on right now, also can create disorder and lack of direction so looking somewhat forward is important too.
What that looks like for me practically in a Uni context, is having all my due dates written out, and writing a rough timeline of what I want to get done each day in order to complete each week’s assessments on time. If I work quickly enough, the end of my week is spent starting some of the bigger projects that are due later. Translating that exact concept in my own life looks like this for example: Prayer - Sometimes I pray for the things happening that day, and shoot up little prayers throughout the day, and then sometimes I get out my journal and really pray into my future and what God’s plans are for me up ahead. Too much focus on preparing for my future means that I’ll miss the little prompts and sweet moments with Jesus moving in my life and using me right then and there, and too little focus could mean that when seasons do change, I won’t be ready for them. On a bigger scale, seasons of life all have different joys and different challenges and there is always much to look forward to up ahead. Especially with the season I am in at the moment, there are lots of big changes coming up as I transition to adulthood now being in a relationship, finishing up Uni at the end of the year and preparing to enter the workforce. So staying focused on the sweet and precious moments that are in every day and not looking too far ahead is a very relevant and sometimes challenging mindset that I am working on. I want to enjoy every minute of this season, and I don’t want to get overwhelmed by all the responsibilities and unknowns and potential challenges that God hasn’t asked me to conquer just yet!
So, whatever season you are in right now, whether you are on the edge of stepping into a lot of new things, or whether you are smack bang in the middle of a journey you’ve been on for awhile, remember to stay focused on what God has right in front of you today. Don’t worry about what is to come but look forward with excitement to all that God has for you in the future, one step at a time.
