“I literally don’t know what to do with my life. I don’t know my next step for tomorrow, or even how I’m going to get through today…I’m already so behind”
These were the words of a college freshman, feeling completely overwhelmed.
Homework piling up. Assignments that take hours to understand. A job that eats up most of the day. Late nights, early mornings, and that gnawing pressure that no matter how hard he works, he’ll never catch up.
This was our son, Quinn, in his first year of college. The transition was hard — for him and for me. Now, as our daughter, Della, is a senior in high school and looking ahead to college, I can see some of that same anxiety in her eyes. The fear of the unknown. The weight of expectations. The silent question every parent and student asks at some point:
“Can we really do this?”
I remember the day Quinn called me, frustrated and discouraged.
“Mom, I don’t think I can keep up. I’m doing everything I can, and it’s still not enough.”
As a parent, my heart broke. I wanted to fix it. I wanted to make the pressure disappear and hand him a perfectly laid-out plan for his future. But I couldn’t.
And that’s when I realized something important: our kids don’t need perfect plans. They need a perfect Savior.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When Jesus spoke those words, He wasn’t just talking about physical exhaustion.
He was speaking to the deep, soul-level weariness that comes from trying to carry life all on our own.
Our kids are facing more pressure than ever — school, jobs, friends and decisions about the future. It’s easy for them (and us) to believe it all depends on their performance.
But Jesus reminds us: “Bring it to Me. You don’t have to carry this alone.”
That day on the phone with Quinn, I didn’t have all the answers. But I did have a promise.
I reminded him — and myself — that God wasn’t asking him to have it all figured out. He was simply asking him to take the next faithful step and trust Him with the rest.
Now, as Della prepares to step into her own next chapter, I’m carrying that same truth with me:
When life feels overwhelming, we don’t need more control. We need more surrender.
So, whether you’re a student staring down a pile of homework, a parent worried about the future, or someone just trying to make it through today, remember this:
God already knows the plan.
He isn’t overwhelmed by what overwhelms us.
And when we bring Him our heavy, tangled mess of fears and responsibilities, He doesn’t just give us a to-do list — He gives us Himself.
This week, try this simple prayer — for yourself, or with your kids:
“Lord, today feels heavy. I don’t know how to do all the things in front of me, but You do.
I give You my schedule, my fears, and my future. Help me take the next right step with You.”
Then, take one step.
Open the book.
Make the phone call.
Go to class.
Trust that God is walking with you, step by step, until the burden feels a little lighter and your heart feels a little freer.
Because Jesus really does keep His promise:
When you come to Him, you will find rest for your soul.
We can do this!
Amy Griffin
Evening Show Host, STAR 99.1 | Listen Now
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