To the Girl Who Just Graduated College
Honestly, no one told me what life after college would look like and maybe that is partly because I did not have the courage to ask. My college experience like all of ours was unique. After a series of events I ended up having to retake an anatomy class at home before I transferred it back to Harding University to graduate. Although, I have blocked out some parts of my last semester of college I have learned that the discomfort and uncertainty was needed for growth.
My whole life I have had this picture of what I want my life to look like and in this moment, life looked nothing like I thought it would. I thought once you graduated college you had everything figured out, and everything would just fall into place at the drop of a hat. Totally unrealistic and unfair of me to assume life would be like that. Instead I was filled with fear, anxiety, and I constantly compared my life to everyone around me. I wanted to leave the small town I was in and escape to get a fresh start. I will never forget what my mom said to me once: “When you come home you can make money, regroup, and heal.” Which are all great things, but it’s the “when you come home” part that kept me waiting. And for so much of my life I have had the mind-set that healing will happen in a different time or space. That when I finally lose 20 pounds, have a boyfriend, know what I am doing with my life and etc. things will be perfect, and everything will fall into place. Because of this false belief I waited so many seasons of my life for things to be perfect. I started living life on the sidelines and not just waiting for the next player to switch spots with me but camping out. While always wanting things to change, but never having the courage to do anything about the things I wanted.
So, to the college girl who just graduated and does not know what to do. Let me tell you that you are not alone. You are not alone in feeling like life does not look how you thought it would. Also, we’re in a global pandamic. So who could have expected that?! But let me tell you something else: do not wait on life to happen. Do not let Satan keep whispering lies into your heart that things need to be different before you have the life of your dreams. (OR A LIFE YOU LOVE) Do not let Satan whisper in your ear that healing is found in any other thing other than JESUS CHRIST. He is our ultimate healer and the only one who will truly satisfy our longing desires. This truth is something I understand more now than I ever have. Because sometimes it takes a lot of living life to fully surrender all the things that will never leave you fulfilled. A life lived for Jesus and with him is worth far more than with all the Instagram followers in the world. There’s a verse in Psalms 119:14 that says:
“I find more joy in following what you tell me to do than in chasing after all the wealth of the world.” Psalms 119:14
I pray this verse sinks deep in my heart because it has not always been true for me. True joy from Jesus can never be compared to the greatest treasures on earth…
Yes, you may not be exactly where you want to be at this moment, but do not give up hope. Small steps get you places. Be proud of yourself for accomplishing four (or if you’re like me five) years of hard work. Sometimes we look at the final destination, but it is the million tiny steps that take you places. It is not always easy, but I truly believe gratefulness is the key. Being grateful for all the places you’ve been and all the places the Lord is leading you into today. When our hearts are filled with gratitude it makes the journey a lot easier.
In the season after officially being out of college I have had five jobs. Each of these jobs so telling of the Lord’s faithfulness to be more than anything we could ask or imagine. I have continued to remind myself of Ephesians 3:20. It says: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
Sometimes we honestly cannot see what that immeasurably more is until later and that is okay. And often it is not exactly what we thought it would be. BUT it is so much more. It is shaping us into who we were meant to become and the events that happen in our lives are shaping us to be more like Jesus.
