Everything that I have been learning from the Lord in the moments I am going to talk about are building me up to GO not only on Missouri State’s campus but also to Thailand! Praise God for these opportunities that I get to take advantage of and travel along with it.
Mid-March, I was able to go with a group of college students on a spring break trip to Destin, Florida through Young Life. Shoutout to the girls (oh, you know). This week consisted of getting to spend a week fellowshipping and really encouraging people to look at where they are at in their walk with Jesus. I was able to connect personally with some people and from that, stemmed new friendships which I am so grateful for! Each day we incorporated daily scripture readings, a little talk from Anne (if you don’t know her, she is the absolute bomb and like the Young Life mom) and family dinners.
Early April, I was able to attend a leadership conference in Chicago with Young Life. I can not put an big enough emphasis on how It is crazy to look back on my growth and see how the Lord has molded me into something new in just a few years and see what opportunities He has brought me. During this conference, there were YED talks (Young Life TED talks). These were various talks that helped generate new ways to best do ministry with the students over doing ministry to the students. Leading college specifically, we were able to also analyze statistics and become more aware of just how evident mental health is within the campuses. With 30% of college students being labeled depressed, it is important to take action effectively. Being a leader in ministry it is important to recognize that we can’t save the person, though my heart wants to and it can be painful. But, we can be a buffer. Imagine you have a cup. Imagine some causes of stress that you have in your life… Is it your job? School? Family? Friends? Relationships?
Your cup is empty. Get a bad grade on a test? Pour a little water into the cup signifying stress.
Lost your job? Visually, pour more water into the cup. Your family is putting a lot of pressure on you to make a decision and you can’t. You get overwhelmed. Pour more water in the cup..
So on and so forth. Eventually, the cup overflows. Often when Christians hear “my cup is overflowing” they think GOOD! Look at Psalm 23:5 (I could go on about Psalm 23, but I’ll save that for another blog post) for instance:
“You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.”
Yes, having your cup overflowing is so good. In this verse it means, not only do we have what we need but He gives us more. Exceedingly more. But, it is now time to completely shift perspectives and look at the opposite of what this verse is talking about. This doesn’t just speak for college students. This speaks for everyone. As someone’s cup overflows with stress, what can leaders, peers, family, friends, etc. do? Be a buffer. Recognize that each person handles stress differently. You may have two people that experience the same situation but one person may significantly react a lot different that may cause more water to go in their cup versus the other person who may not be stressed out as much at that situation. Help them build resilience. One way to do that, is with the Truths that we are able to obtain through God’s word and just being an encourager and listening.
I am one of those people who take in stress very easily and whose cup can overflow if I am not careful. That is why I like ~~~ praise breaks ~~~ Praise God for an education and the opportunity to be on campus with students despite how difficult my classes may be and how often I just want to be done and graduate. Praise God for accepting my mess. Knowing that even during the times where I am not trusting Him and I think I am losing everything, He doesn’t just leave and be like “Ash, I can’t handle you right now. I am leaving.” Praise God that His way has always turned out better. Looking at where I have been to where I am now is a true testimony to God’s provision and peace.
Last spring and even a couple of times last semester, I would isolate myself. I can’t say this never happens anymore but the difference between now and how I would react in the past is that I catch myself doing it and I run away from those old habits. This semester, I am learning how to press in and appreciate the community (shoutout to the college team & the other leaders) I have when those times of chaos come about. I wasn’t provided a community just to look over them and not acknowledge them as a blessing.
At times, I am a mess. *Cue Hannah Montana’s Nobody’s Perfect* I am still learning how to truly overflow my cup with things of God and not stressors like my grades and what the heck I am going to do when I graduate. Those are just small temporary worries.Though it is hard to not focus on the fact that I am doing awful in a class… Am I dying? The answer is no. Do I still get to spend an eternity in Heaven with the good, good Father that is full of joy and hopefully lots of Canton Buffet crab rangoon? Oh, absolutely. I can admit that these things are easier said when things are going well but it is how I, and we, react during the hardships that truly reveals where our heart is at. Are we just going to be a mountain top Christians that only praise and acknowledge God when things are going well? Or are we going to surrender to God and praise Him in the trenches and when we are on the mountaintops?
With that being said, I can’t wait to see how I am able to apply the little things I am learning now and take them to Thailand. I am going, but I would be lying if I said I haven’t gotten discouraged by the fact that I have $2,300 left to raise and only two months until departure. But PRAISE THE LORD THAT I HAVE $2,393 RAISED! That is a huge chunk of money. Thank you to all of those who have supported my thus far and believing that I should do this! If you would like to support my journey, you can donate…
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