Dear God, You're Invited

I am a person who has to do things herself.

I will not ask for help. I don't like asking for help.

I can prove that I am strong enough, smart enough, capable enough... just enough to do things on my own.

I hate googling actors that I recognize in movies but can't place, because I know I can command my mind to remember this trivial piece of information.

I hate going to SI sessions for school work, even if I'm struggling in the class.

I won't even take medicine when I'm feeling sick because I somehow figure I can get over it myself. I'm ridiculous, I know.

These little examples of my obsession with self-sustenance are funny and make you shake your head and distantly question my sanity. But what I've been noticing is the way these little things translate into bigger things that affect my relationship with Christ.

Sometimes we unconsciously get in the habit of keeping personal life and spiritual life separate, when really they should be intertwined. Too often I hear of students feeling overwhelmed by school work or stressed about this relationship or that friendship. We are in tune with God during life group and church and worship, but then when it comes to school or social life, it can be easy to set God in the background.

We forget that God wraps Himself around every detail of our life. He knows and even understands the feelings we discount as trivial. He cares about them. And He cares about us.

A few weeks ago, I was feeling overwhelmed by a number of things that began to affect my mood and attitude. I was constantly in a state of anxiety and stress, and all I wanted to do every day was just take an indefinite nap.

I was tired.

But wow, am I glad God doesn't get tired.

One by one my issues began to disappear or be resolved. For example, a week that seemed especially daunting included two exams and all five of my DCP roommates coming to visit, plus some other minor things weighing heavily on my mind. Somehow, both of my tests got moved from that week. The minor issues I was worried about were resolved in special ways that could only mean something to me, showing me that God deals with each of us personally.

All of the ways that God took care of my problems that I had blown out of proportion reminded me that He is a caring God. I feel like I'm constantly teaching to "bring things to God," and I'm usually applying it to sin or big life decisions or whatever. In that last month of high key stress and anxiety, God gently asked me "Why haven't you brought any of this to Me?" I felt like I was drowning, and I didn't even ask Him (the all powerful Author of life!!!) for help.

He dealt so graciously with me, and for that I'm thankful. In the midst of my not-so-chaotic life, He inserted Himself and proved the magnitude of His sovereignty. In return, I fell to my knees in awe and remorse for closing the door on Him. With open hands, I faintly whispered "help me."

But I know that's not always the way He deals with me, which is why I am so thankful this time. My problems don't always just disappear, and sometimes I have to walk through something really hard in order to learn the lesson or "see the light." The Lord is always walking with me, but sometimes lets me experience the consequences of my poor decisions or disobedience.

So to save you the trouble of learning a lesson the hard way, may I offer some advice? If it feels too hard to come before Him and lay down your struggles, how about just inviting Him in? Whatever that part of yourself that's hidden away or that thing that you know you're just absolutely positive you can take care of yourself... it's not too big and not too small for Him.

Let Him come in and bring peace over the 17 million exams you have coming up.

Let Him hold you heart in your loneliness and hurt and worry about whether or not that guy or girl is the "one."

Let Him invade your finances and be the Provider that He is.

Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

In everything, God desires to be included. No matter how shameful, trivial, or irrelevant it may seem, we can ask for help. If we truly want Christ at the center of our lives, everything has to revolve around Him. We're not meant to section off parts of our lives and walk through them with or without God. It's always with, and we can take comfort in knowing that God Himself designed it that way.