‘Tis the season for complaining, or at least that is how it seems. With spring break nearly within reach, the last thing students want to think about are the remaining assignments between them and their vacation plans.
After having their noses to the grindstone for nine weeks without a single break, it is understandable that the students at John Brown University are eager for a change of pace. At the same time, The Threefold Advocate would like to encourage students to think about their attitudes in a broader perspective.
We know how easy it is to be overwhelmed by everything there is to get done and by everything that is not as easy or convenient as we would like it to be. Often, we choose only to complain because it is easier simply to air one’s grievances rather than to work for real change.
While this choice can help to relieve some bottled up pressure, it can also tend to drag our perspective further down rather than building one another up. As Paul wrote in Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to God.”
That does not mean you must not commiserate with your fellow sufferers. At the same time, we would encourage you to also keep in mind that the things which seem so overwhelming now are not worth losing our peace and joy over.
Enjoy your break – but when you come back and feel unable to get through the last six weeks of school, remember that this too shall pass. Choose to make the best of it and maintain your positivity. Take things one at a time, and take lots of deep breaths.