Having it All Together

Last week, during my voice lesson, my teacher and I chit-chatted a bit, as we tend to do. We always enjoy each other's company and the interesting stories the other has about the previous week's events. On that particular day, students in her voice studio seemed to have been particularly stressed out or absent-minded. She told me that one freshman ended up in tears during her lesson, and a few didn't even bother to show up for their lessons, including the students before and after mine. Neither of them let her know ahead of time.

Well, she started leading me in a vocalizing exercise, but stopped suddenly and asked me, "Why is it that you seem to always have it all together? You never seem stressed out. Is it because you're an adult?" (Note: I am a grad student at a mostly undergrad school)

Ordinarily, when presented with such a question, I may have just casually agreed with that assessment. Sure, I'm an adult. I've been a student before, I know how it works. But truthfully, I'm burdened with just as much, if not more, schoolwork as these other students, and I definitely feel the pressure of deadlines, tests, etc. just as much. So the answer was of course, no, being an adult has nothing to do with why I "have it all together."

The spring of living water that is the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ must have been overflowing from me that day, because without hesitation, I answered her: "I think it's because I'm a Christian."

Initially, she somewhat shrugged off my response, and added, "Well, probably because you're an adult too," and we continued our vocalizing. But a bit later in the lesson, she unexpectedly remarked out of context, "I think you're right, by the way."

I was caught a little off-guard, not certain to what she was referring, as enough time had passed after that conversation that we were on to other topics. So I asked, "About what?"

"You know..." she said with a wink. And I did know.

I do not know for certain if my voice teacher is also a believer, though I have suspected she might be, with her glowing smile, zest for life, and especially after that comment. But I do know it is difficult in most higher education settings to tell people that you're a believer without some sort of negative response, even if it's just a shrug of the shoulders. And while I don't necessarily have it "all together" (I procrastinate and get somewhat stressed too), whenever I do feel a little stressed, I never let that feeling overtake me, because I can always turn to God, for His "yoke is easy," and His "burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)

If you feel weighed down by the stresses of life, I would encourage you to pray and seek God, and I promise you, if you are genuine in your prayer, he will give you rest. And your soul will never thirst for that elusive meaning of life when you love and serve the Lord our God.

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38)