To The Graduate Student

In January 2020, my friend Rachele and I attended the Passion Conference in Atlanta, GA, to ring in the new decade.

At midnight, we sang praises to God with absolute excitement and joy with Hillsong United and thousands of young adults. Our Bibles were in hand, because we wanted to be holding on to God’s Word as the new decade began. We had no idea what 2020 would bring, but we knew we wanted God to be at the center of it all.

Flash forward to March 2020 - An unforeseen pandemic spread throughout the world in a matter of weeks, and our personal worlds were turned upside down. Rachele shifted to working at home as an English Instructor online, and my entire graduate experience was changed forever.

All of my clients were put on hold, and I didn’t get to say goodbye or finish our time together the right way. My residential program went all online and I know other graduate students who lost internships, graduated via Zoom, or dropped out of school because they lost their jobs.

This pandemic has affected everyone in some way or another. But to my fellow graduate students, we endured a time of uncertainty about our future and the requirement to be flexible. Some graduate students have now graduated with a Master’s degree, yet there is no one hiring. It is devastating, and hope is hard to find. My mental health took a hit working at home alone, because I love being surrounded by people. I felt isolated, overwhelmed, and exhausted.

Look beyond the disappointments of this year:

Despite all of this, I have learned to be more graceful, and I am thankful for my health and the ability to keep moving forward. I know it has been a whirlwind of a year, but my hope is that we can look beyond the disappointments of this year to the hope of Jesus Christ.

We survived this year, and God is greater than our circumstances. We are not defined by how we fall but how we rise. For me, I can say I was only able to get back up because of the power of God and the love from my family and friends. I haven’t felt the joy of the Christmas season, but after some reflection, I have a few ideas of where to start.

Instead of looking about the good and bad of this year, let’s pivot our attention to Jesus Christ alone:

If you want to experience the Christmas season with joy and hope, but you don’t know where to start, here are 5 actions to get started today. Focus on Jesus alone, as if you were talking to a friend over coffee. Put the phone down, open your mind and heart to receive His presence, and set aside time to enjoy this moment.

1. Read Luke chapter 2 in the Bible -

This chapter of Luke retells the story of Jesus’s birth. It is a great place to start in the Bible to read about Jesus for the Christmas season or in general if you want to learn about how Jesus came into the world. As John says in the verse above, Jesus was with God since the beginning of Creation. He is the Light, the life of the Word of God, and the hope in the darkness.

2. Reserve the weekends for reflection, rest, and a restored relationship with Jesus (put away your phone) -

I am choosing to not be on social media for the weekends of December, so that I can spend time with family, friends, and God, without the distraction of my phone. I feel like this is doable and realistic for me. Maybe for you it is not, and that’s okay! Set a special limit to your social media time and chose to spend your time doing something else. You could put the phone away only on Sundays, after 8pm, etc. You chose the boundary you want this month and make it realistic for you!

3. Sing your favorite Christmas songs -

I am still attending church at home through Live YouTube recordings of my home church services and I miss singing as a church all together and hearing the choir, the band, and my family praising God as one body. So when I do get a chance to sing with friends and family, it is so special and fun. The Christmas album I have on repeat this month is “The Birth of a King” by Tommee Profitt. Check it out!

4. Write Christmas cards to friends and family -

I love getting mail from friends! It makes my whole day brighter knowing someone I love was thinking about me. Writing Christmas cards are easy ways to send love and appreciation to someone you care about. Not only does it help me get in the Christmas spirit, but it sends joy to someone else too.

5. Take time to pray this month -

I am also including a December Prayer Guide I made this month to help guide our prayer.

Sometimes I forget to pray, or I don’t know what to pray about. Each day has a topic to pray about, and the ACTS method guide of how to pray. Prayer is just a way that way to talk to God. It’s an easy and meaningful way to stay spiritually healthy too.

Merry Christmas friends! Keep pursuing the Hope and Joy of this season, and hold tight to God’s Word despite any circumstances.

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About the author: Lauren Michelle

Lauren Michelle is the founder of @thehonestpursuit and a recent graduate seeking the Lord in her life and writing in her free time. Follow her ministry for chats about faith, mental health and friendship.