Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Reflections on Graduation, part 1

Location: Roscoe Village, Chicago, IL

I'm a college graduate.

It sounds weird even in my head.

I don't feel old enough to be a college graduate. I don't feel smart enough to be a college graduate. I definitely don't feel adult enough to be a college graduate.

Regardless of how I feel, I am a college graduate. I've walked across the stage, my final grades have been submitted and all I'm waiting for is my official diploma.

I put in four years studying, going to class, praying and preparing for life after graduation. Now I'm here and I'm not completely sure what I'm supposed to do. Plans have constantly been changing. Jobs and apartments not panning out. Postponing graduate school. Applying for orientation in Texas. Life's been crazy. Now things are beginning to settle down and I'm trying to sort out my feelings about post-graduation life.

What I've come up with so far:
-Seek God's will...His timing is perfect. Things may not be working out according to my plans but God's plans are better.

-Don't be afraid to ask for help. We are the body of Christ for a reason. I didn't realize how many people at my church were willing to help out a struggling college student until I asked.

-Set boundaries and take care of yourself. In my heart of hearts I'm a yes man. I struggle saying no and I want to fill every need around me. However, I've found I function better with 8 hours of sleep, working out in the morning and eating right.

-BE PATIENT. Waiting is a great character builder. It will test all your convictions about relying on the Lord and trusting in His Sovereignty. It's incredibly difficult for people like me who want to pretend to have control but God is working on that part of me.

-Maintain supportive relationships. If it wasn't for my friends supporting me and trusting me to support them I'm not sure where I would be. Never be too busy for your relationships.

-Finally, trust God. This points seems redundant but it's important enough that it bears repeating. God has got it all under control whether I can see it or not. Learning to actually believe that has been a invaluable lesson.

For those of you who haven't graduated yet, what do you look forward to most post-graduation?

For those of you who have already graduated, what kinds of lessons did you learn while you were in transition to "real life"?



The kitchen in the house where I work...I'm a bit envious :)

No comments:

Post a Comment