Stress: tension, a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
Stress! It’s something that we all go through whether you’re a single mother working two jobs, or a married woman managing a business. In my particular case, I’m a teenager being bombarded by numerous college offers and the looming cloud of upcoming SAT’s. Junior year of high school can be really stressful because it’s the year that colleges really look at. With honors classes, student teaching, and student council duties, things can become pretty stressful. It can also be unnerving to walk through the door and find a large stack of college letters waiting for you. YIKES! (Even as I am writing this blog my 5 year old niece brought me a stack of thirteen college letters…LOL!!)
Ever since I was a little kid I have wanted to be a teacher. Most kids probably haven’t chosen their career path at 7 years old, but I knew what I wanted to do. As I am now deciding which colleges to apply to, millions of questions are running through my mind. “Which college is right for me?” “Do they have a good education program?” “Can I even get into this one?” Researching colleges can be a very stressful task that a lot of teenagers are going through, especially if you are not sure about which field you want to go into.
One thing that I had to learn the hard way is that you can’t let others define who you are or what you do. When I would share that I was looking at a particular college I was given words like “I wouldn’t apply there, you probably won’t get in.” or “I know someone with 2100 SAT scores and a 4.0 GPA average, if they couldn’t get in there’s no way that you can get in.” WHAT?! It was devastating. I really wanted to scream, “Well who asked your opinion?!” But seeing as my mother raised me to do the right thing, that wouldn’t be very Christian-like would it? ~smile~
Fortunately, I learned to turn my mindset to, “Even if I don’t make it, I at least have to try.” Philippians 3:14 says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” We can do all things through Christ, whether it’s applying for college, working toward that job promotion, or overcoming a huge obstacle in your life. What we all forget sometimes is that God is always there to support and guide us. Sometimes you may feel like you are at the end of your rope and things can’t get any better but we have to remember that God is always there for us. Our strength is in Him and he will help us through all things. I am trying to remember this everyday as I am preparing for the next big step in my life.
While this is a long and wearisome process at times, I am super excited about college. I am also excited to grow in God and to achieve that which he wants for me. Knowing that God is always with you is such an empowering thought when you stop and take the time to think about it. I Can Do All Things Through Christ! So don’t let someone discourage you from trying something new or reaching for something that seems impossible, because nothing is impossible with God. I hope that this has been an encouragement to all of you and I look forward to sharing more of my college searching experience with you in the future.
Special Note: This blog originally ran March of 2010, and since then Tovah was accepted at the 3 colleges she applied and has now made her choice. She is scheduled to move into her dorm August 25th and will be majoring in Early Childhood Education. Her college of choice was one she was told, might be to hard for her to get into. As she has said, “We can’t let others define who we are or what we do.”
Until next time.
Love You All
Tovah
Ponnie will be back tomorrow
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