Experiencing God In College Sample

It seems one of the requirements for being an art student in college is being nocturnal. The art building is always open, and some amazing work is happening at 4 a.m. Meals come from vending machines and morale comes from seeing others in your same boat.

In college, I dated and eventually married an art student. Any class that involved a studio meant double the time of the class. This translated to a three-hour block becoming six hours in the studio. When my boyfriend was in glass blowing and metals and photography, he basically lived in the art building. I remember staying up late with him on several projects in the art building and marveling at this special breed of humans. 

Sometimes the amount of work to be done looks like it will not fit into the amount of time you’ve been given. Papers, exams, and projects all have their own priorities, and they all demand that you bend to their will. How do we manage it all?

Stephen Covey, the master of time management, tells us to picture a large wide-mouthed jar. Throughout our day, we have big rocks, pebbles, sand, and water to fill up our “time jar.” The only way everything will fit is to put the big rocks in first. The pebbles will fill around that, the sand can still be added to fill in the cracks, and the water can still be poured in after the pebbles and sand to saturate everything. The truth of the illustration is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in.

When I am feeling the weight of my responsibilities and deadlines, I take a deep breath and name my top three big rocks. Those are the things that are the biggest priority. They are the most weighted and affect the largest part of my life. Sometimes naming the big rocks can be tricky because although they are important, they don’t always appear urgent. 

In college, one of my daily big rocks was getting to know God and being in his Word. Was there an exam coming up about him or a deadline to spending time with him? No. But did spending time with him bring me peace and perspective about all the deadlines? Yes. Walking with God around campus and listening to worship music gave me truths I needed to frame my day. Because I put those big rocks in first, I would find myself drawing upon those moments and God’s truths throughout the rest of my day. 

Today, name your top three big rocks that bring health and well-being to your life. Put those in first and watch how God himself will accomplish all things for you.