Megan's prayer: Jars of Clay's "Truce"

Sometimes I find myself getting so tangled up in schoolwork, not being able to see the end, that I stress myself out. Suddenly going to school isn’t about the learning anymore, it’s about the grades, and what those grades mean to my future. I get worked up about a two page paper, thinking that if I don’t do this right, I might screw up my chances of getting a good grade in the class. I forget about the pure joy of learning something new, of using my creativity, of expanding my mind into places I’ve never gone.

I’m “unsatisfied with simple things”

I find myself sometimes having trouble with the simple things in my faith. I worry about whether I am praying right, or if I am making a difference in any of the teens in lifeteen, or if I am truly doing what God wants me to do with my life.

An assignment for one of my classes this semester is to read a handful of children’s books each week and reflect on them. I thought it was a silly assignment to begin with, but I have ended up loving it. It allows me to step back into my childhood and remember the days when things seemed simple, when there was no stress about school, but only excitement in learning new things.

Reading these books has helped me find a new joy in simplicity. Learning shouldn’t be about memorization of theories, it should be about the adventure and excitement of discovering something new. My faith shouldn’t be about stressing over whether I’m doing everything right, it should be about the joy I feel when I am praying to God, singing to God, just sitting there and being with God.

I hope that this sense of joy, excitement, and wonder continues.