By Reuben Samuels | Focus Editor
What is struggle if not the deciding point between failure and success? It is at this inflection point where I believe indispensable value is found. A value that doesn’t only pertain to a moment, but transcends that moment and becomes a life lesson.
In college, we all experience struggles, whether it be turning in an assignment on time or stepping away from the addiction that has ravaged our lives. Our collegiate years are full of tossing and turning on what may feel like an endless cycle of perpetual motion.
I want to encourage you, that even in your pondering, there is purpose in your struggles. Even though you are struggling to rationalize it, there is purpose in stepping away from that unhealthy relationship. There is purpose in the day-to-day, and everything will work out.
Even though you are struggling to come to terms with it, no, it’s not good to skip your 8 a.m.
I felt like there might have been a need for some humor because the laughable moments God provided were the only things that carried me through some days. But I know that humor, though a powerful tool and comforter, does not fully suffice, as this is a lesson I’m still learning.
Currently, I am participating in a challenge with a few friends: we each do five hard things every day for five weeks. The five hard things include daily challenges such as reading our Bibles before 8 a.m., turning off our phones for an hour and going to bed before 11:59 p.m.
As I began the challenge, I thought it would be easy, so I added a few challenges to the list. But I quickly changed my mind after the first day, when I stayed up after midnight doing homework because a close friend needed emotional support a few hours prior. From there, the challenge only grew more difficult, as the demands of studying, organizational commitments and work commanded more of my attention.
Along with this, the short-term stress of my shower breaking, being locked out of my apartment and dealing with personal issues added insult to injury. As these stressors accumulated, my sleep dwindled and the struggle snowballed.
It was only after my shower broke that two things became apparent to me.
First, it’s OK to struggle.
Here at Baylor, we strive for perfection, as nearly every student I have met not only has aspirations but also constantly seeks to make their aspirations a reality. Within this determination, some of us, influenced by the culture around us, believe there is a level of immediate gratification, expecting to get an equal or greater level of output from the work we put in. That’s not true, as the result of the effort is never where the value truly comes from.
In the midst of my struggle, I didn’t find value in completing a day of challenges nor the perseverance needed to get through the road bumps of day-to-day life. Instead, I found value in learning the skill of consistency: no matter what my day looks like, I will not only complete the daily challenge but also finish my to-do list. I also realized I could never do this on my own strength; I need God more with each breath.
Though I have been blessed with a wonderful community, multiple opportunities for educational and professional growth and an array of talents, I can only do so much. And I’ve learned to be OK with that. This contentment in my inadequacy comes from understanding that I put my trust in a God who — in my moments of need or abundance — can do far more abundantly than what I can ask of.
As a result, I can be assured that in my struggle, all I need to do is what I can, and everything else will be taken care of. So my hope for whoever reads this is that one day you will find peace in the midst of your struggle. A peace to know that — regardless of the situation — it is OK to struggle because you know you will make it through.
