I’ve been struggling with CAD for my Engineering Foundations class. It feels like I can’t figure anything out on my own, and I’m constantly walking back and forth from office hours. The first CAD assignment? It completely shattered my ego. I wasn’t even able to finish the main part and had to ask for an extension so I could go to office hours and sort it out. It was demoralizing.
So when the second CAD assignment came around, I promised myself I wouldn’t sit clueless in front of my screen the night before it was due. I started early, and when I hit a wall—as I knew I would—office hours were my go-to plan. It was raining hard that night, but I had no choice. I had to get the assignment in on time. The last thing I wanted was for my professor to think I was taking advantage of her kindness. So, I walked 25 minutes in the rain to get to the TA’s office hours. When I got there, I saw 20 students waiting. One single TA. And he was leaving soon. Oh my gosh.
I decided to wander the room, hoping for a miracle. I sat next to a girl and asked if she had any idea how to fix my issue. Turns out, she’d already finished the assignment I was stuck on. She pointed me in such a simple, straightforward direction. She gave me the missing piece I needed to complete my assignment. And the kindness she showed, the patience she had walking me through it, gave me so much energy.
Everything finally started to click. Before I could even translate what made sense in my mind onto the CAD software, a guy sat down next to me. He was just so lost. He didn’t even know where to start for that first assignment—and he made his cluelessness very clear to me. I saw myself in him. What the girl on my right had just given me, I felt moved to give to the guy on my left. I walked him through the entire first assignment, start to finish. I had wanted to leave at 7:30. It was way past 7:30 when we wrapped up. The TA had already left. I made sure he submitted his assignment before I left.
When I finally stepped outside, the rain was pouring. I had no umbrella. Go for it, I thought. The 25-minute walk home. Life has been a mess lately, so what’s a little rain? And then, out of nowhere, I hear, “Hey, Sona!” Before I knew it, I was in a car, getting a ride home. I got home. Dry. Like it was a miracle.
Even though I was home, my CAD assignment remained unfinished. I went to office hours to get help, to submit my work and get it done. But God wanted me there for other reasons. He wanted me to feel the kindness of the girl on my right. She wasn’t the TA; she didn’t have to help me. But after that, I wasn’t even stressed about the assignment anymore. I knew exactly what to do.
God wanted me to feel the warmth of kindness, and I did. As a result, I felt so pushed to spread that warmth to the person on my left. He probably felt helped, but the truth is, I felt smart. After feeling dumb since the semester started. And honestly, I needed that more than he did.
It was just a CAD assignment, but through it God opened an opportunity for me to see that I’m not the only one struggling. That I too have something to offer this world. And He brought me home in the rain, dry.
The world wants to tell you that you’re a failure. That’s a lie. Want proof? Look into the eyes of Jesus. Make eye contact with God. The love in his eyes will make you feel like the biggest success on this planet. His most precious creation.
I’m fighting a lie by making eye contact. Try it out yourself. God is so good, man. I don’t know how else to tell it, but it’s true.