Ready or not, world…Here I come.
I’ve spent the last 3.5 years waiting for this moment. The
moment that I can say I am just days away from graduating. What’s the rush to
get out of college, you ask? Shouldn’t I soak in every great moment of college
with all my friends and great sporting events before the "real world" kicks in?
Well, chances are that your college experience was a little bit different than mine.
You see, my experience in college wasn’t like the experience that most of my friends or family members had. I’m not going to walk out of college with a great, huge group of friends. I didn’t find my future husband. I am not going to leave with crazy memories of wild nights and wild parties. No, my college experience isn’t one that you’d see in theaters.
But God has used my 3.5 years of college in ways that I never would’ve imagined.
He used Freshman year to show me what having awesome, random Freshman roommates could be like. He used Freshman year to show me what staying up till 2:00 AM, having deep conversations with people that believe differently than you, can do to your heart, mind, and future. He used Freshman year to teach me to laugh…a lot. He used Freshman year to show me that Jesus has taken away all my guilt, so I don’t have to live in shame any longer. He used Freshman year to show me what spontaneity and late Taco Bell runs were all about. And He used Freshman year to prepare me for the upcoming years.
He used Sophomore year to teach me what it looks like to rush through life. In fact, I can barely tell you anything that happened Sophomore year. It's seriously one big blur. I was rushing through life. I wasn't living in the moment. During Sophomore year, He taught me what it looks like to let life pass me by and to go along with what everyone wants you to do, say and be. During my Sophomore year, I felt like a walking puppet…not knowing who I was or what I wanted. I allowed myself to be sucked away by romance, with a person that never truly loved me for who I was, but insisted that I be who he wanted me to be. God used Sophomore year to teach me that actions speak louder than words and just because a guy says all the right things, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t full of crap. Sophomore year taught me that with Christ, I am strong and I can survive anything, even heartbreak. God used Sophomore year to show me that my years at Lindenwood were going to be more about Him re-building me, than it will be about all of my college dreams coming true.
He used Junior year to show me that life isn’t fair. We lose people. People move on, whether we are ready to move on or not. He showed me what losing friends can look like and how we can so often put time and effort into people that will never repay us with the same. He used Junior year to show me that my family will always be there for me and they will always be some of my best friends. It was during Junior year that God showed me that it’s important to keep in touch from your best friends from high school because sometimes, they end up being better friends than the people you meet in college…and that’s okay. He also used Junior year to show me what ten 21st birthday parties can look like! And no, they don’t have to be drunken nights of booze. They can simply be nights of great conversation and great memories being shared around a glass of wine. And guess what…that's just as much fun.
Lastly, He used one semester of Senior year to teach me what living authentically and vulnerably can look like. It’s okay to be imperfect and it’s important to embrace who I am. God used one semester of Senior year to teach me that it’s okay to want to leave everything in the rear-view mirror and move on, as long as I don’t forget the life lessons that I learned along the way. He taught me that it doesn’t matter what other people think, as long as I am content with where God has me. He taught me that only a few friends really matter and those people will be around no matter how often you see them or talk to them. God used Senior year to remind me what having fun, laughing, and living in the moment looks like. He taught me how to savor each and every moment that He blesses me with and to not rush through life. He used one semester of Senior year to show me that my life may not look like what culture says my life should like it, but our culture is broken and it’s okay to be different. In fact, it’s so important to be different in a world that does everything to force us to fit in.
I may not be moving into a beautiful house with a white-picket fence and a dog.
I may not have a boyfriend.
I may not have a job that makes sense to everyone in the world.
I may not have a large group of 25 close friends.
But…
I have a God that loves me more than anyone on this earth could ever love me.
I have a family that supports me and stands by me during the good times and the bad.
I have close friends that accept me in my darkest moments and in my crazy, hilarious, 3 AM, weird, slap-happy…(only those people know what I’m talking about) moments.
I have a job that is everything that I could ever imagine….working with some of the most determined, confused, beautiful, lonely teenagers that I’ve ever met. I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.
I have a church family that has welcomed me with open arms. They’ve loved me, supported me, and taught me so much about the church of Christ.
Well, chances are that your college experience was a little bit different than mine.
You see, my experience in college wasn’t like the experience that most of my friends or family members had. I’m not going to walk out of college with a great, huge group of friends. I didn’t find my future husband. I am not going to leave with crazy memories of wild nights and wild parties. No, my college experience isn’t one that you’d see in theaters.
But God has used my 3.5 years of college in ways that I never would’ve imagined.
He used Freshman year to show me what having awesome, random Freshman roommates could be like. He used Freshman year to show me what staying up till 2:00 AM, having deep conversations with people that believe differently than you, can do to your heart, mind, and future. He used Freshman year to teach me to laugh…a lot. He used Freshman year to show me that Jesus has taken away all my guilt, so I don’t have to live in shame any longer. He used Freshman year to show me what spontaneity and late Taco Bell runs were all about. And He used Freshman year to prepare me for the upcoming years.
He used Sophomore year to teach me what it looks like to rush through life. In fact, I can barely tell you anything that happened Sophomore year. It's seriously one big blur. I was rushing through life. I wasn't living in the moment. During Sophomore year, He taught me what it looks like to let life pass me by and to go along with what everyone wants you to do, say and be. During my Sophomore year, I felt like a walking puppet…not knowing who I was or what I wanted. I allowed myself to be sucked away by romance, with a person that never truly loved me for who I was, but insisted that I be who he wanted me to be. God used Sophomore year to teach me that actions speak louder than words and just because a guy says all the right things, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t full of crap. Sophomore year taught me that with Christ, I am strong and I can survive anything, even heartbreak. God used Sophomore year to show me that my years at Lindenwood were going to be more about Him re-building me, than it will be about all of my college dreams coming true.
He used Junior year to show me that life isn’t fair. We lose people. People move on, whether we are ready to move on or not. He showed me what losing friends can look like and how we can so often put time and effort into people that will never repay us with the same. He used Junior year to show me that my family will always be there for me and they will always be some of my best friends. It was during Junior year that God showed me that it’s important to keep in touch from your best friends from high school because sometimes, they end up being better friends than the people you meet in college…and that’s okay. He also used Junior year to show me what ten 21st birthday parties can look like! And no, they don’t have to be drunken nights of booze. They can simply be nights of great conversation and great memories being shared around a glass of wine. And guess what…that's just as much fun.
Lastly, He used one semester of Senior year to teach me what living authentically and vulnerably can look like. It’s okay to be imperfect and it’s important to embrace who I am. God used one semester of Senior year to teach me that it’s okay to want to leave everything in the rear-view mirror and move on, as long as I don’t forget the life lessons that I learned along the way. He taught me that it doesn’t matter what other people think, as long as I am content with where God has me. He taught me that only a few friends really matter and those people will be around no matter how often you see them or talk to them. God used Senior year to remind me what having fun, laughing, and living in the moment looks like. He taught me how to savor each and every moment that He blesses me with and to not rush through life. He used one semester of Senior year to show me that my life may not look like what culture says my life should like it, but our culture is broken and it’s okay to be different. In fact, it’s so important to be different in a world that does everything to force us to fit in.
I may not be moving into a beautiful house with a white-picket fence and a dog.
I may not have a boyfriend.
I may not have a job that makes sense to everyone in the world.
I may not have a large group of 25 close friends.
But…
I have a God that loves me more than anyone on this earth could ever love me.
I have a family that supports me and stands by me during the good times and the bad.
I have close friends that accept me in my darkest moments and in my crazy, hilarious, 3 AM, weird, slap-happy…(only those people know what I’m talking about) moments.
I have a job that is everything that I could ever imagine….working with some of the most determined, confused, beautiful, lonely teenagers that I’ve ever met. I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.
I have a church family that has welcomed me with open arms. They’ve loved me, supported me, and taught me so much about the church of Christ.
College may not of been the experience that I was hoping
for. But I’m often reminded of how “God’s plans are better than our greatest
dreams.”
And that is so true. I wouldn’t trade what God has done in my heart and mind for any other college experience. He has truly prepared me for my future.
And that is so true. I wouldn’t trade what God has done in my heart and mind for any other college experience. He has truly prepared me for my future.
I am
more than ready to go out into His world and shine like a star in this dark and
broken world.
Lastly, it’s okay to leave things in the rearview mirror. It's not a weakness. It's a strength. In fact,
it’s essential. You have to move on. Forget the bad memories, but never forget
what they taught you. You were never meant to live in the past, wishing that
you could have another chance at something.
No.
No.
You were meant to keep moving forward. Pressing forward. Striving after
dreams. Striving after things that matter…Things that you love… Things that you
care about.
Forget the past. Your future is so bright; I need to put my sunglasses on.
Forget the past. Your future is so bright; I need to put my sunglasses on.
And….
For those of you who doubt what God can do in and through me…
For those of you who left me because you were too impatient to see what God would do in and through me….
For those of you that I’m leaving behind….
For those of you who want to fit me in your American Dream box….
I’d like to say this to you:
“You want me to take my light and fit it in your box, right? I want you to look me in the eye. Ready or not, world, here I come. I’m about to show you where the light comes from. Ready or not, here I come. This is who I am, I won’t hide it. I’m gonna take it all over the world…to the young, to the old, every boy and girl. Ready or not, here I come. I’m gonna show the world where the Love is.”
In His love,
HG
Comments