To the Weary, Broken, and the Lost.
by emily dhong, university of pennsylvania
In case you’re lost, I am, too.
For four years in high school, I’ve been sprinting without knowing why or having a sense of direction. Thought I would know better in college, but turns out everyone—including myself—is lost, more than ever.
The first few months I arrived at Penn, I was like a mad compass needle, unsure of what or where to point to for my future. Attending club meetings, career talks, and office hours made me mesmerized at the myriad of opportunities, but again left me with the feeling of emptiness and uncertainty: while they encouraged me to “seek” my dreams, I was told to be realistic and know that I couldn’t change the world. While they assured me that I could find an answer somewhere, they, too, acknowledged that they didn’t know and pointed to other professionals.
What do you want to do with your life? The question continued to loom over me as I watched Locust Walk come to life with people walking their heels off to classes and coffee chats. For a brief moment sitting on the bench, I was free—free from the Penn Bubble, free as the squirrels roaming around the green, wondering what we humans were always so busy with.
It’s undeniable that we desire to have control over our lives—the popularity of Google Calendar, Notion, or to-do lists along with other productivity apps testify to this. But the truth is, we will never really have full control over our lives, and we have to accept it. I say this not with resignation, but with hope: for when we finally let go of the things that we’ve so desperately held on to, we learn to look up and notice our surroundings, including God.
Admittedly, sometimes He may not be visible in our eyes. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you have a personal genie who can resolve all your troubles; God works—visibly or invisibly—through you as a vessel to change the world, and makes you experience hardship to build perseverance, character, and hope. [1] In those trenches that we want to run away from, it’s important to remember that God gives difficulties not to shame and embarrass us, but to realize that we can’t live without Him.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” [2]
I don’t say this to portray God as a moral psychopath, tormenting us with endless hardships in this world that we cannot conquer alone; the concept of Original Sin states that human beings are the sources of sin, or the causes of our own despair. [3] Despite our shortcomings, however, God stays and rebuilds our lives through Jesus because He loves us more than we can fathom. [4]
This unconditional love is further seen in Matthew 11:28-30 when Jesus states, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” [5] God literally tells us to unload our burdens and go to Him. Our burden gets lighter not because of our stress and hard work, but because Jesus carried them for us.
If you’re incredulous of how I hold such beliefs, I was in your shoes just a couple of weeks ago, too. It is healthy to have doubts—religion encourages us to question our beliefs and reflect on our thoughts. I had personally thought that there were only two options when it came to living life: to be a happy pig or a miserable philosopher. You’re afraid that you would risk your autonomy and freedom if you believe in God and thus be a happy pig, or potentially be depressed if you are a non-believing philosopher, forever searching for answers that can’t be grasped.
But what people often overlook is the third option—to be a child of God.
To be a child of God is to be a mustard seed in the garden: being the “smallest of all seeds,” yet when it grows, “[becoming] the largest of garden plants and [becoming] a tree, so that the birds can come and perch on its branches.” [6] It is to rejoice in Him while glorifying His name in this world, and to revel in the realms of uncertainty knowing that you’re going to be okay.
So to those whose lives God is still working through (and will forever work through), I’m grateful to be on the same journey as you. No matter how dark the night seems or how lost you may be, this is your journey to blossom from a tiny seed to something bigger that God has planned for you.
Until the Kingdom of God comes, here’s my prayers for you: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [7]
Sources
[1] Romans 5:3-4
[2] Ephesians 2:8-9
[3] Janine Ungvarsky, “Original Sin,” EBSCO Research Starters (2023), https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/original-sin
[4] Romans 5:8
[5] Matthew 11:28-30
[6] Matthew 13:31-32
[7] Philippians 4:6-7