Jesus Wept
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The story of Lazarus is truly awe-inspiring. The idea that Jesus is able to bring someone back from the dead demonstrates His power and gives hope for our eternity. However, to me, the story of Lazarus means something much more than that. The shortest verse in the Bible comes from this story:
John 11:35 – Jesus wept.
Although it is a short verse, I believe it is one of the most powerful verses in the Bible when the story behind it is understood. You see, after Lazarus was dead and Jesus returned to Bethany to comfort Mary and Martha, Lazarus’s sisters, as well as other members of friends and family, He sat with them in their pit of despair, and He grieved alongside them. I find this interesting because Jesus knew exactly what He was about to do. He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but He sat with them in their pit and cried with them. He experienced the pain and hurt of the experience alongside them, truly enveloping Himself into the situation, more than just an onlooker. He knew they would be lifted out but shared their burden, offering comfort, until that came.
My pit was the beginning of my freshman year of college. For any college experience, the transition from high school to college is incredibly stressful. My experience was no different. The first month of my freshman fall was an absolute whirlwind. I was in the thick of my first season as a collegiate athlete, which gave rise to athletic stresses. My major-specific classes were already beginning, and it seemed impossible to balance a 16-hour course schedule with missing class almost every week, which gave rise to academic stresses. I was applying and interviewing for internships for the next summer, which gave rise to personal stresses. If I was lucky, I would get 5 hours of sleep a night, so a mental breakdown was imminent. These things combined created my pit.
Fortunately, I had LSU FCA. I had truly accepted and started taking my relationship with Christ into my own hands around the end of my 8th grade year. However, FCA gave me the push to take my next step in my walk with Him and continue to grow as I began college. The most common thing talked about at FCA is quiet time- starting your morning with Jesus and continuing to build a relationship with Him daily.
I began waking up 30-45 minutes earlier every day, so I could drink my coffee and start my morning with the Lord.
I talked to Him like any friend, listening to what He had to say in His word, learning more about His personality, telling Him about my day and what I was going through. Slowly, I began to notice myself sleeping through the night, having peace in times of my stress, feeling as though someone was walking with me. In having these conversations and developing this relationship, I had invited Jesus into my pit. The pressures were still there, but the stresses they had caused were diminishing. My struggles had not changed, but there was a major difference in my circumstances: Jesus was in my trials alongside me.
Everyone’s pit is different and constantly changing. The culmination of one trial brings on the advent of another. From exams to relationships to games to anything and everything in between, your pit is where you find yourself in one of life’s many struggles. It is a place of discomfort, a place of pain. It is anywhere you wish someone were there to walk with you. It is somewhere you can invite Jesus into. Take heart in knowing that Jesus wept.
Jill Bohnet
My name is Jill Bohnet, and I am on the LSU Volleyball team. I am currently majoring in Petroleum Engineering and Finance, and I plan on graduating from LSU in 2023. I love to read, run, and play games with my family and friends!