A lot of things happened last week. So I think it's fair to say that my Dead Week was anything other than dead. But, throughout the craziness, the stress, and the overwhelmingness of college I am met with God's grace and faithfulness. I was met by blessings I could have never seen coming, and this week these blessings came in the form of some really great friends.

For quite a while I struggled with what it meant to have true friends. What it looked like to have "my people." And what it meant to trust that someone will be there for me every step of the way. I didn't really think that was even a real possibility for me, for so many different reasons. But my mom ALWAYS said, "you'll meet your best friends in college," wow, was she so right! Learning to let people in has been and still is incredibly difficult for me. But learning to break down the barriers around my heart is one of the toughest but most rewarding battles I fight against myself every day.

This last week was nothing short of a whirl wind. With a packed schedule and crazy occurrences I fell into the trap of busy and stress and the feelings of defeat. While I have developed the skill of managing my stress very well I am still learning to leave my fears and failures at the foot of the cross. And every once in while I get caught up in myself and tend to spiral out of control. Only this time something was different, this time when I fell into the trap I wasn't alone. And this time I had people there to catch me, people who picked me up right as I fell face first into the ground and I even had people to sit with me before I hopped right back up to continue on my to-do list journey. These people I am incredibly thankful for.

Learning to love myself has been no walk in the park, and learning to let others love me has been like climbing a mountain without any climbing equipment. But with the Lord as my guide I am learning what it means to trust the people He surrounds me with. I am starting the break down Fort Knox, and I am understanding why we are not meant to live this life alone. This afternoon I had lunch surrounded by some of my favorite people in the whole world, and for that I am so thankful. But even more so than the meal we shared, I am blessed to know that these people won't let me fall. To know that the people I love so much, WILL be there for me every step of the way. And learning to be okay with them catching me when I stumble on this journey through life is such a wonderful testament to God's perfect timing and unwavering faithfulness. So as I finish out my first semester of college this week I am rejoicing in the blessings of real and true friendship and what it looks like to trust people to catch me when I fall.

With lots of love and a humble heart,

Kaitlyn