Keep Your Eyes Fixed on Him

     It has been a long time since I have written last. This is my first experience with having to handle finals and the process of the completion of a year at college. It is absolutely crazy to me how fast this first year at Northwestern has gone! I have been abundantly blessed by the time I have been given here. I have been challenged, stretched, and have grown in ways I had not expected. I have made amazing friends. I have been blessed by the professors and their insight. I am so thankful to be able to be in a community with others my age that are pursuing God and His plans as I am. I am privileged to be able to come along side others and have others come along side me as we journey together. 
     God has really been showing me the importance of keeping my focus on Him. Lately, I have been feeling weighed down by the demanding way of life with its deadlines, assignments, and schedules. God has been  helping me become aware of how important it is to slow down and notice others. Sometimes I find myself so focused on what I need to accomplish and what I need to get done in a day that I do not stop to help and serve others. God has been reminding me how He is in control and there may be situations that arise that I was not expecting, but He was. Instead of staying so focused on myself and the tasks I have to complete, be open to altering my plans to serve another and go beyond myself, trusting that God has a reason for every interaction I have and every situation I face. 
   

     Over this past year, I have experienced the power  of God and the healing He can bring to any situation. He has really opened my eyes to my sin and the dark parts of my heart. He has brought truth and light to these areas. There is one truth that God has made apparent to me day after day this year. When homework and classes were stressful or when I could not seem to keep up with all the different deadlines or activities that I was supposed to, God reminded me of this one truth over and over: Any day that goes by where I have kept my focus on Him, then it is a successful day no matter how many tasks are left undone at the end  of it.  God desires our hearts. He desires time with us. As demanding as the world seems, in the end, those things hold no importance compared to our relationship with our Creator. Our identity is not in the things of this world, but in Him. When we go through each day with our focus on Him, He will direct our path. He will give purpose to everything we do.