Filling the Void in Our Lives

Hey friends! With the first week of college behind us, I’ve found myself talking to God a lot. For instance, when attending an aerial yoga class this past week, the instructor ended the class by telling us to simply lay in the hammock and let our mind rest. As I laid there, my mind immediately went to thanking God for the experience and talking to Him about my day.

Another example of when I talk to God is when I'm walking to class. One of my favorite influencers, Nicolleta Bradley says to ask God two things when speaking to Him throughout the day:

1. “God, what do you want me to know?”, and

2. “God, what do you want me to do?”

I've been trying to implement this more, especially when there's a lot on my mind. After all, God says to "pray continually" or "pray without ceasing". Sometimes, God doesn’t answer right away, so I go on and listen to a podcast or music, but eventually, God speaks a message to my heart through the Holy Spirit, and I get to share that with you guys :). Although I am not perfect at it, it’s a fun way to live life.

This blog is about something God laid on my heart as I was walking back from class one day this week. I had spent the day running around campus, seeing familiar faces, taking notes, etc. It was a day that summer me longed for- one that was busy, but not too busy and full of small catch ups with friends. However, at the end of the day, rather than feeling fulfilled, I felt a little empty. This could be due to a variety of different reasons- the extreme heat, the daily 8ams, and the overwhelm of all the pending due dates. When I look around me, I know I’m not alone. I see several college students rushing around- filling the void with clubs, organizations, leadership roles, friend hangouts, etc. Don’t get me wrong, these things are so good! There is SO much value in being a part of something bigger than yourself. Volunteering my time and getting involved on campus is what singlehandedly pulled me out of a pit of anxiety my freshman year of college. However, to the world, more is always better. But the world and God’s kingdom are not the same. God’s kingdom is often called the “upside-down” kingdom because it is so countercultural.

The physiology of the human body even supports the notion that slower, less anxious life is better for human health. For instance, chronic stress and overactivity in women can cause a myriad of health issues, including cardiovascular issues, weak bones, infertility, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and more. In other words, when you follow the world’s instructions to do more and be more, you lose the ability to live life the way God created you to.

I think a lot of people fill their schedules with such busyness to fill a void inside of them. We all have this void. It’s essentially a God-sized hole in our hearts that cannot be filled with anything else but His presence.

When you lay your head down at night, I hope you feel light. Even if what you are going through is heavy. Even if your schedule is full. Even if you feel lonely. Feeling drained is okay and inevitable, but in order to endure, you must fill yourself up with the Spirit of God again. You simply cannot keep running through life without giving yourself time to be refreshed by the maker of your soul.

Godly friends, good podcasts, and fun hobbies are essential parts of life and add SO much beauty to it. (God has grown me so much in this area), but you will inevitably reach a point in your life where these things aren’t fulfilling you. Maybe all your friends are busy, maybe your family is annoying you, maybe you are too tired to go to that club meeting. These moments remind you that you and everyone else around you is human. They will fail you- inevitably. Instead of viewing this as a bad thing, may you view it as a reminder of your greater need: an eternal friend, savior, and counselor: Jesus. He’s the only one who is able to be there for you ALWAYS through the Holy Spirit. So in those moments when you feel drained, I hope you’ll choose to open up your Bible, put on some worship music, or simply meditate on what is good. These are the things that will truly refresh your soul & give you that breath of fresh air that you’re looking for :).

***

Here’s a link to a video I hope you'll watch. Some people make fun of Emma because of her passion for the Lord. Although I think it’s important to make sure your message is “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6), I think Emma’s spirit displays the level of joy & confidence in the Lord that we have available to us. So many of us walk through life completely numb to the immense joy & beauty we have available to us through Christ Jesus. Emma made this video when she was in high school. Now, she's married, graduated college, and is about to have her first child. She’s not living for the acceptance or approval of others; she’s living for the Lord. Because of her faith in God, she gets to enjoy the sweet gifts of life to the fullest and look forward to the glory of heaven. So do we :)

The Power of Prayer: https://youtu.be/B2DGqNDzfvk?si=D72iMFPnYs5cBIIE

***

Another thing God has been teaching me is being present. I literally worked throughout all of high school to be in this position- a Terry Scholar at Texas A&M University. Although the attainment of this goal didn’t fill every longing of my heart like I once thought it would, it has brought so many blessings, friendships, and experiences that I will miss dearly once I graduate. I was talking to a fellow Terry Scholar this week, and as we were catching up on life, she shared a little bit about her perspective of “worshiping in the waiting”. You hear this phrase a lot within Christian culture, and I do think there is value in the idea. I even wrote a blog post about it: What-to-do-in-the-waiting

However, my friend reminded me that we aren't promised what we may be "waiting" for. This is so true. I once heard a quote that says:

“Even if God never did another good thing in our lives, we could spend the rest of this life praising Him for what He has already done.”

— Dillon Burroughs

We'll never be in this season of life again. For instance, right now Bailee and I are trying to find time to go to the Bio lab to practice identifying cells, tissues, and bones. When will we ever do this again haha??

In our nutrition classes, we talk a lot about our future profession. All my fellow DPD students aspire to be registered dietitians one day. While of course I want to be the best dietitian I can possibly be, I don't want to be naive and believe that getting my RDN credentials is the key to happiness. There are so many people who have their "dream" career but are still unhappy. I don't want to be one of those people! So I'm trying to make a habit of seeing the beauty in my current circumstances so that I can have a firm foundation to stand on when I reach my career goals.

***

One last thing :)

In our Psychology of Adjustment class, we are talking about the science of happiness. Because this world is imperfect, in our order to be happy, you're going to need some coping skills to deal with those aforementioned imperfections. Whether it's a bad grade, a failed relationship, family stress, or anything else that may be bringing you down, here are two coping skills you can try to implement into your life.

The first one is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT. When practicing this coping skill, you first have to practice acceptance by being willing to experience difficulty. Then, you observe your thoughts without being ruled by them. Next, you identify your core values and let those drive your actions. Here is an example of how I can implement this in my own life.

Right now I'm taking Anatomy & Physiology I here. This is a notoriously difficult class, and I'm a little bit nervous about it. In order to manage my anxiety about the course, I first need to be willing to accept that parts of this course may not be enjoyable. Next, I need to observe my thoughts without being ruled by them. My thoughts include things like, "I am not looking forward to lab," "I might not do as well as I hope on the lab quiz," "The lab will probably be boring at times." Finally, I need to assess my values. I value excellence, hard work, and a job well-done. However, I also value rest and emotional wellbeing. I will these use values of mine to direct how I approach this course. For instance, I will devote time to study the lab material each day and review my lecture notes. I will also attend SI. However, I make an effort to resist outside stress and simply focus on doing my best. Finally, I will prioritize sleep to the best of my ability because I know that when I am tired, I am less likely to enjoy studying and doing other difficult tasks.

Another method I can use is called "Shift and Persist" coping. Basically, this method says that when you are faced with a difficult circumstance, you can choose to accept the situation for what it is and then adapt by either attempting to change your external environment to better fit your needs (primary control) or trying to change yourself to meet the task at hand (secondary control).

I'll use Anatomy class as an example again. Let's say I have a particularly busy week and don't feel prepared for my lab exam. I should first accept the situation for what it is. Then, I could attempt to change my external environment by asking for an extension or to do my lab another day. However, this probably wouldnt work because lab times are not debatable. So, I would have to move onto adjusting myself to be as prepared as possible for the exam. Steps I could take include devoting a set amount of time to study each day, attending SI sessions + office hours, and/or asking my friends for study tips. I can also shift my mindset to being okay with simply doing my best.

After implementing these "shifts", it's then time to persist. This is basically "rolling with the punches". Practically, my next steps would be going to lab, displaying my knowledge on the exam to the best of my ability, and striving to remain as optimistic and grounded as possible no matter what grade I receive.

I hope you try out these coping mechanisms in your own life. I'll probably be referring back to them throughout the semester when I'm nervous about an exam or assignment.

I hope you found some value in this post. I had fun writing it. Thanks for reading :)

Love,

Breanna Chavez