By Britny Belskis
Hey, Friends,
I want to apologize to you all for the last few articles that have been sporadic. All I can say is life as a college student is tough right now, but also I’m enjoying every single moment of it.
That being said, I want to let you know I still love sharing what is going on in my life with you.
Over the past few weeks, I have learned so much about where I am and where I’m going. I want to make sure that I’m intentionally being who God wants me to be, as well as where he wants me to go in this life. I just heard someone say, “Live like you mean it.” This saying has haunted me to the point where it has me intrigued.
What does it mean to live like we mean it? Does it mean we can be brave and show people the truest of ourselves? Does it mean we will embrace the challenges in our lives that once crippled us? I don’t know all the answers, but I know who has the answers. As we all are walking out this journey, we will encounter ways to tap into what it means to live like we mean it.
As humans we are born to be in community, which allows us to share our light with those around us. Community with others is essential for building unity in our world. It doesn’t have to be a big thing everyone knows about. It doesn’t have to be a huge event. Just start small.
It’s like when you go camping and you make a fire to roast marshmallows. The fire isn’t already created out of thin air (unless it’s a God thing, then that’s something else), but it’s created by gathering twigs, branches, paper and whatever else you need to build a fire. Let light catch fire and shine through our communities, as bright and strong as it can be. For me, being in community with people is something special, it gives me hope there are people with so much goodness and potential.
Another way we can live like we mean it is facing the unknown. As I shared on having community a second ago, we must be brave enough to embrace the unknown; this is where we can grow into the people we are meant to be. This is/was the hardest thing for me to wrap my mind around. Why? Well, I suffer from anxiety, which has made life tough some of the time. I’ve learned different ways to handle it (celebrate recovery/therapist/pastor). Now I embrace the unknown and put myself out there — to be brave.
One of my favorite authors, Annie F. Downs, once said, “There are times when God pushes me to go past that line and be brave, not in an uncomfortable way, but in a brave way.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBd6xnimzxg n.d.) This phrase is so true because there have been moments in my life where I wanted to play it safe (stay in my comfort zone), but God gave me a nudge where he said “Britny, here is your new opportunity; embrace it.” So, the next time you feel afraid, know you are not alone. The best is yet to come!
