Dealing with Dichotomy
- Bailee Chavez
- Jan 28, 2024
- 4 min read
Hi !! Happy Sunday! Quick break from my to-do list to write this. I have been very busy trying to understand my Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Nutrition courses while also navigating the cold and rainy weather ahaha. Hopefully, God front-loaded the crazy weather early in the semester...
Anyways, though this semester has been, is, and will likely continue to be challenging, I still find myself so grateful to be here.
I oftentimes call my mom when I on my daily commute. Our conversations are usually interesting, and I’m sure she enjoys my mood changes throughout the week. Heck, throughout the day.
One day this week, I told her that I both love and hate college hahaha. What did she do with the dichotomy I presented to her?
She responded by asking me to tell her what I loved about it.
As I began to tell her how being here has given me a unique opportunity to grow as an individual in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise, I realized that I had arrived at my location before I was able to talk about the things I hated.
In this moment, I remembered a conversation I had with my registered dietitian when I was struggling with my eating disorder. We were discussing how I was going to be able to overcome my disordered behaviors.
She said that, though I had an admirable drive to succeed and be the best, I was putting that energy towards the wrong things.
She suggested that when I felt the desire to restrict, over exercise, or worry about food or exercise that I should use that energy to do something more positive- perhaps volunteering, being with friends, doing assignments, painting, etc.
People with eating disorders are usually pretty successful at adhering to them—I mean that’s why they have a disorder to begin with.
Dietitian Anna Sweeny described it this way:
“Living with an eating disorder takes extraordinary fortidue. And when that energy can be circumvented in a different way, incredible things happen.”
Now, I sincerely hope you are not struggling with an eating disorder and that this quote can apply to you in another way.
For example, a lot of us suffer with anxiety. I think it could be said, too, that it takes “extraordinary fortitude” to live anxiously- to avoid things, to walk on eggshells, to put your worth in uncertain things, etc.
Likewise-- when that anxious energy can be dispelled via action and Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (facing your fears), “incredible things happen.”
For me, I tend to find that many things aren’t actually so scary after all.
Many of my fears are “not that deep,” as my sister Breanna would say.
This week, I want us to remember that we have limited energy and likely limited time.
That energy and time can be spent being angry, stressed, afraid, or sad...
or it can be spent believing, working, hoping, dreaming, and doing.
Of course, it is also important to feel your emotions sometimes. But, still, you can’t stay there- as my mom always tells me.
After you process them with God, you should move forward and divert your energy to more positive things.
Dichotomy in life will likely always exist. There will aspects of life that you like and dislike throughout all seasons. I think that if you prioritize focusing on the former over the latter whenever possible, you'll find that you like it better that way.
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God put these verses on my heart today about the dichotomy of struggle and success, and how they aren't really as dichotomous as they seem.
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. Job 23:10 NIV
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT
The commentary on these verses were so good! See below
Our faith endures seasons of winter because we trust in God’s timely promise of spring.
Side note: How cool is that God put the above verses about gold in my head randomly & then led me to this commentary, which is perfect for this season.
Although the Bible is many years old, it is alive and active so that we can taste and see that He is good here and now.
When God tests us, we are given a raw, honest look at our foundation of faith. Through trials, if we persevere in trusting him, God will demonstrate the meaning of genuine faith to us. He teaches us to confidently rely on him when life makes sense and when it doesn’t.
God understands, loves, and accepts us as we are. He intentionally creates us with strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, beliefs and doubts. There is a purpose for all these things in his plan for us. God knows the way we take–the choices we make, the trials we face, the suffering we endure–and he stays with us wherever we go, now and forevermore.
Naturally, we want to understand our suffering and minimize it, so we ask questions. We may not receive the direct answers we are looking for. Perhaps, like Job’s story, God is working from a vantage point we cannot yet understand. But, what would faith be if we had all the answers? Faith is fueled by trust.
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Well that’s all I have for the month of January! Rumor has it, Breanna will be taking over the blog during February and has some exciting posts in the works. Guess you’ll have to check back next week to find out! 💌
With love,
Bailee Chavez
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