Blog Feature!!! My twin, Breanna!

Today Breanna texted me and said "If you let me write a feature story for your blog, I'll do the laundry." So I said what any logical person would say-- "DEAL."

I'm not even kidding when I say that is exactly how the conversation went. She got the laundry done, so I guess it's my turn to fulfill my part of the commitment LOL. Without further ado, here's what my sis Bre had on her heart to share today!

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Hello everyone! My name is Breanna Chavez, and I am super pumped that you are reading this right now. Yes, you. I believe God put purpose inside of you. Whether you are a student, wife, husband, father, mother, or anything in between. You were made for such a time as this. (You might want to read that again if you are having trouble believing it. Also check out Psalms 139:14).

Today I dealt with something incredibly frustrating, but it also led to a lesson learned. Here is some background. I am a first-generation college student, and let me tell you- the struggle is R E A L. The past few months of my life have consisted of registering for classes, applying for scholarships, graduating, and trying to figure out what the heck I am doing. Life is busy, and growing up is hard, but God meets me in each moment (thank goodness).

I truly began diving into my faith in high school. The circumstances in my life and my lofty goals pushed me to depend on something MUCH bigger than myself: God. I would attend church, watch sermons, and do devotionals. I was desperate for any and all reassurance that God would handle the worries I was facing- namely, getting enough scholarships, achieving success in the FFA, and becoming Valedictorian. I cannot tell you the amount of prayers I prayed regarding these goals alone. I was TERRIFIED that these dreams of mine would never happen.

Fast forward to the present where I am sitting on the other side of these goals- all fulfilled. I have my Valedictorian sash sitting beside my bed, a full ride scholarship to my dream college, and finished my senior year with not one, but two state championships within the FFA. Life is a dream, right?

Right! But guess what. I still face struggles. I am still a normal girl who has laundry to do, a family to spend time with, and sleep to somehow get. On the other side of every goal achieved is even more challenges.

Depressing, right? How are we supposed to enjoy life when there is nothing but doom and gloom awaiting us? Well, that’s when God comes in.

If you need some reassurance (like I always do), here it is: God SEES YOU. He sees you staying up late strolling on Tik Tok. He sees you stressing about your future. He sees the love you have for your family. He sees you about to enter a new chapter in your life. He sees you stress about that class, that relationship, that bill, that ‘fill in the blank’. I’m serious; you can fill in the blank with whatever it is you are worrying about.

Today, it was my student ID card. Ever since I was accepted into college I have known I need to upload a photo for my ID card; however, I had no idea how to do this. Everyone else was able to do it with no problem, but for me, uploading a photo was not even an option…. literally. I was in one of those “get everything done” moods today, so I decided to call and try to get it fixed. Three phone calls later, and the problem was still not resolved. No one knew what I was talking about, and it seemed that my problem was unfixable.

Have you faced a situation like this in your life? I’m sure you have. Maybe it's a flat tire, a bad grade, an angry family member, or maybe you’re just tired. If you haven't faced something like this, you will. At some point in your life you are going to be faced with a very real problem that feels as if it’s life or death.

I was super stressed about this situation, so I decided to step outside for some fresh air. I am currently reading a book by Mark Lucado called “Anxious for Nothing”, and in it, he encourages his readers to present SPECIFIC requests to God. I decided to give it a shot. What did I have to lose? I asked God to PLEASE allow me to upload my photo. However, if that was not his will, I asked that I would be able to impact someone for Christ throughout my experience trying to get it fixed. I felt a little better about the situation and went about my day, still stressed but trying to trust that God would work it out.

Luckily, I got a phone call a few minutes later that said the problem was fixed, and I was able to upload my photo! This may be a silly example, but this is just a small piece of evidence that God really does work in our everyday circumstances if we will let Him. Knowing me, I could have easily had a mental breakdown over this issue, but by the grace of God, I was able to receive His peace.

I encourage you to do the same. Whatever issue you are facing today, whether big or small, give it to the Lord. He promises to give you rest. Oh, and also, it couldn’t hurt to open your Bible. Just open it. That’s all it takes. It’s the first step, but it’s often the hardest. You do what you can do, and let God do the rest. Did you check out the verse I mentioned in the first paragraph of this post? Probably not if you’re anything like me. If you don’t know where to start, start there, and see where God takes you. I know He won’t disappoint! :)

Open your eyes to what God has done and is doing, and I promise you’ll be left looking like this LOL.

I truly empathize with you! All my support,

Breanna Chavez