As a college student I was a perfectionist about my grades. If I’m completely honest, I was not a perfectionist when it came to my study habits. I wasn’t always the best at being diligent in my studies, but I always wanted to make sure that report card at the end of the semester had all A’s. It used to drive me crazy when I would get all A’s and one A- in a semester. All I could see was the minus sign next to that one “A”.
One semester in particular I remember nearing the end thinking there was no way I would be able to pull off all A’s. I had some tough classes that were eating my lunch and I felt like I was drowning in papers, projects, and cramming for finals so I could keep that spotless report card.
Fortunately, my college roommate, James, was my best friend and we shared a lot of the same classes together. James was much like me when it came to studying habits and also like me in the sense that he wanted all A’s on his report card. We were both competitive enough that we would push each other to see who could get the highest scores and we would help each other study (or cram) for those big finals. We would pull all-nighters together getting ready and then go into the tests knowing we weren’t alone.
In the end, I never developed the studying habits I probably should have, but I also became a better student and friend because of James. In life, we will face times where we just don’t know if we can make it another day. Our bodies and souls can begin to shut down from the exhaustion of the daily grind. It becomes a struggle to take the next step in life. Those are the moments where we need to lean on the people around us to push us, challenge us, and remind us that we are never alone.
In our faith journeys it can be helpful to have that spiritual mentor or friend who is there to serve that role. We need someone that we can be honest and open with about our faith journey; someone who can help us develop better spiritual practices and become a better disciple of Jesus. If you already have that person, take time today to write them a thank you note for what they do, and if you don’t have that person I hope you will think about who would be a good spiritual mentor or friend and ask them if they would be willing to take on that role for you. We all need each other in this journey of life!
Rev. Josh Attaway, Edmond Campus Pastor
