Your Sacred Season

Hello friends! Happy Easter. Bailee and I just got done with a BUSY week. Here is a caption I wrote about the past week:  

Another thing that helped me get through was this mindset shift: Instead of thinking about how much I haven't studied, I have been trying to thank God for what I have studied.

Let me give you an example. The second-to-last major thing on my to-do list this week was to take my Psychology exam. I unfortunately wasn’t able to start studying until the night before, so I definitely feeling a little nervous. As I was taking the exam, I began to feel really discouraged because I wasn’t sure about a lot of the answers. This was a personal threat to my self-esteem- especially the type 6 in me who desires everything to be perfect and orderly to ensure safety and security.

As I sat there feeling defeated and counting all the questions I thought I got wrong, I decided to shift my focus to the questions that I did know and the ones I could’ve possibly gotten right.

I ended up making a B on the exam, which I will gladly take considering the circumstances. The more important thing though is that this simple mindset shift helped me experience peace in the moment rather than guilt, shame, anxiety, or worry. My mom used to always say "positive attitides bring positive results." Maybe she's right :)

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Now, I’ll share something I wrote about singleness this past week. Tbh, I used to view my singleness as a weakness, but I’m starting to see the beauty in it. I am so thankful for God’s protection of my heart thus far in life. So many girls have already had their heartbroken at this point in their lives. Although my heart has been hurt in other ways, I am thankful that this area of my life has been kept sacred. 

To the girl who is sad that she’s single and thinks a spouse will solve all her problems, let me encourage you with a story of two influencers that Bailee and I look up to: Jeanine & Madi.

They both desired marriage early on (like their teens and early twenties), but both ended up getting married in their LATE 20s. They both went through a lot of heartbreak before they met their husbands. Madi went on The Bachelor and experienced all kinds of craziness, and Jeanine went through a divorce. I remember watching them on YouTube and Instagram when they were single, genuinely wondering what kind of guys God would provide for them. It was so cool to see the relationships they prayed for become a reality. And now, both girls have made careers and ministries out of the experiences they had in their “waiting” season. They have both written books, started podcasts, and preached numerous messages to girls all across the country. They decided to take their pain and use it for a purpose in their single seasons. This allowed them to create a full & abundant life BEFORE they met their husbands. Now, they are still doing what they’ve always done, but they both have husbands to help them do the work that God called them to do.

As you sit in sadness about your singleness, I'd encourage you to ask yourself these questions: What if God has more experiences for you to go through? And what if He will use those experiences to propel you into your purpose so that you can be a better partner one day? 

I saw a post on Instagram about treating the search for a husband like trying to get into college. This makes sense, but I wanted to reflect on the concept a little more. Imagine if you were trying to apply for college when you were in 8th grade. That would be pointless. Why? Because you aren't ready for that yet. You have nothing on your resume to indicate that you’ll be an asset on a college campus. You don't have a high school GPA yet, you haven't shown that you can be a good leader through serving in officer positions, and you haven't taken the ACT, TSI, etc. 

Instead of spending your time looking at colleges, the better option would be to put your head down and work. Then, colleges will see your diligence and dedication, and they might even reach out to you. 

I’d argue the may be true when it comes to finding a spouse. Instead of spending your time searching for one, spend time living your life and acquiring skills that would make you a good partner. Get to know God better, find out what you truly believe about Him, recover from that eating disorder that still has a handle on you, seek counseling for that dull sense of depression that sometimes overtakes you, practice better communication with your loved ones, observe how you handle stressful situations, and go to college or work so that you have the means to support yourself, the life you want to live, and your future family. 

You shouldn't do all this just because you want to get married. Living life this way allows you to live a full life whether or not you do. You’re allowed to want to be married, show your interest in someone, etc. But ultimately, you need to remember that the Lord’s plan prevails, and you won't miss what He has for you.

A good example of this can be seen with my Aggie Ring. To be honest, the Aggie ring was something I knew I’d receive at some point, but it was never my goal to earn it by a specific point in time. Instead, I just focused on getting through each class.

If you had asked me in high school if I would rather receive my Aggie Ring or an engagement ring, I would've said an engagement ring. However, now I’m so glad I received my Aggie Ring before an engagement ring. My Aggie Ring symbolizes my hard work, my support system, and the strings that only the Lord could have pulled for me to end up where I am today.

It has also taught me that a ring on my finger isn't the end all be all. For example, this spring semester has been FULL of trials. I’ve arguably been the most stressed out I’ve ever been despite having a ring on my finger that signifies I am good enough to succeed at Texas A&M University.

In the same way, when I one day have an engagement ring on my finger that signifies someone loves me enough to want to spend the rest of their life with me, I will still have trials ahead of me. Why? Because every good thing on Earth is a broken picture of the perfect love of Christ. We won't experience this kind of perfection in full until we walk through the gates of Heaven.

What a glorious day that will be! In the meantime, my advice to you lift your eyes to behold Him and then put your head down and work at what He has put in front of you.

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The message of Easter applies to every situation in life, so I thought I'd end this point by tying everything that I've touched on in this post together.

Even though the events of Easter may not have actually taken place on the days we choose to celebrate it, I appreciate the time of remembrance for what our Savior did for us. Jesus dying on the cross is the event upon which my entire faith is based. Because Sunday is coming, I can live in peace this Saturday... even in the midst of my unfinished to-dos and my biochem homework that is yet to be completed. 

Matthew 25:1-13 The Message (MSG)

“God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bridegroom’s here! Go out and greet him!’ “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’ “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’ “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked. “Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’ “He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’ “So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

I love this passage, especially since I’ll be a bridesmaid this summer. It serves as a reminder that we never know when our promise will be fulfilled, so we must stay ready! My hope isn’t in my grades, appearance, or future spouse. It’s in the ultimate Bridegroom who will return one day for His Bride- the church (His people).

I hope something from this post encouraged you, and I pray the Holy Spirit would bring His word to your mind when you need it most this week. God bless you if you read all of this!!​​

With love,

Breanna Chavez