Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
These phrases are meant to bring joy, but to a college student it can be a moment of terror when they hear these words. College students can associate Thanksgiving and Christmas with exams, papers, group projects and comprehensive finals.
During the prayer time at our last leadership team meeting, one student said excitedly, “I have a praise. There is only one month left in the semester.” Immediately another said, “I have a prayer request. There is only one month left in the semester.” Some are excited about the relief of the end of the semester and others feel they are stressed as they are being piled up with leftover tasks and assignments. This is due partly because professors are trying to squeeze in everything to get all the requirements in by the end of the term — not to mention, some students still haven’t shared the Gospel story with those they met through their classes and know they must before this opportunity is gone.
The holidays can bring around other challenges for college students. Some get to go home for the first time since the beginning of the semester, while others are trying to juggle between time with family and time with friends. When they get home, it is easy for them to see how they have changed in a number of ways since they have been away to college. This is especially daunting for a freshman who has changed so much since their high school days, even though it was only a few short months ago.
The Christmas season also brings with it Christmas mission trips. Some students are seizing their off time by going on these mission trips. There are teams traveling in the United States; however, many choose to go overseas, taking advantage of sharing the Christmas story with any who will listen. The downside to going on these mission trips is being away from family during the holidays, which most likely would be the first holiday they will miss in their lifetime, which brings up all types of stress for everyone involved.
During this holiday break, we want you to you enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas, and ask that you lift up college students in prayer during this season.
