By the Mercy of God and Nutella

scraping the sides for every last spoonful, image courtesy of Hannah H

Homestretch

It's getting near the end of the semester. (I know this because my calendar says I have 16 days left, and because I am coming to the end of this semester's jar of hazelnut goodness.)
I find myself easily feeling unmotivated and/or overwhelmed.
If you were a fly on the wall in the one of our nursing classrooms hearing everyone's mumblings, you would quickly realize that I'm not alone.
This week's been great; I guess Thanksgiving break is still working its magic.
The week leading up to the much-needed week off for thankfulness, was a very different story.

Last Week

I was scrambling, trying to finish assignments and stuff every necessary bit of information into my brain as quickly as possible.
The volume of assignments, combined with my procrastinating tendencies, resulted in stress filled days and long nights.
By the time I reached my last quiz for the week, I literally felt hopeless.
I found myself talking to my Lord, "God, could you please sustain me through this one? Even just passing at this point would be great."
I knew that I could have managed my time better, and that I deserved to reap what I sowed. And I felt intimidated to ask God for a blessing I knew that I didn't really deserve.

That's when it hit me...

I realized that whenever I pray I am asking for something I do not deserve.
I realized that even in being able to approach a HOLY God, I am living in a relationship that I would have been completely cut off from if Christ had not died for me to remove the sin that separated me from Him.
I learned that this is what He meant by grace.

He asks me to cast all of my burdens upon Him "because He cares for me", not "because I earned a right for them to be taken away" (1 Peter 5:7).
By the mercy of God, I did better on that quiz than I have on others that I actually felt prepared for.
The questions that were asked happened to be from what I had reviewed (which was not as much as I should have), and what we discussed in class.

"Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope: 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
    great is Your faithfulness."

                ~Lamentations 3:21-23

Did you know?

That it is ALWAYS midnight somewhere in the world?
("The part of the planet directly facing the sun is always 12:00 noon. The part of the planet directly opposite the planet is always 24:00 hrs", according to a kind soul on Yahoo answers.)
Do you realize what that means?!
God's compassions and mercies are always being renewed! On the continuum of time, a new morning is always beginning.
Indeed, we have received grace upon grace (John 1:16).

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Finishing Well

I'm off to finish a study guide. And a paper. And another paper. And a group project. And a presentation. And a quiz. And another quiz...
These last two weeks are filled to the brim, but I know God will prove Himself faithful. Again. As always.

He even was so good as to bless me with a roommate who knows just what will help to get me through!

 

Image courtesy of Hannah H, additional jar of Nutella courtesy of the best roommate ever.