What’s Next??

I just graduated college last Friday. I sat in the sun for hours and waited for them to call my name at commencement. I now have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. And I’ve heard the question, “so what are your plans now?” too many times to count. As I walk into this next stage of life I have millions of possibilities ahead of me. I am simultaneously excited and terrified by this new season of life. I am a planner and I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. It’s stressful, but great! As I make this transition from college student to young adult entering the job market I’ve been thinking a lot about the changes that life throws at us and the different seasons that each one of us will find ourselves in at one point or another. But I’ve also been thinking that maybe the specific stage in which we find ourselves should not be our main concern.

For Example:

What if we weren’t supposed to live our lives in stages? What if we weren’t supposed to compartmentalize out lives into different boxes? Maybe then we wouldn’t be waiting to “make it”. Maybe we could live more fulfilled instead of always striving for the next milestone, the next marker that we have gotten somewhere – done something with our lives.

What if we lived life like we only had one purpose? Like we all knew what that purpose was and we were fully committed to that purpose no matter what the rest of life looked like? What if our ultimate goal, everyday in every “stage” of life was to bring the most glory to God that we possibly could? Maybe we could quit all our striving for the things that we think make us “real people” and just start living right where we are, right how we are. Single. Student. Unemployed. Sister. Friend. God-lover. God-loved.

What if we were okay with the seemingly insignificant in order to broadcast to the world how unfathomably magnificent God is? If God’s power is shown the greatest in our own personal weaknesses, then why do we all try to get ourselves to the place where the world can see just how great, smart, athletic, good-looking, clever, funny, and overall awesome people we are? I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive to be our best, but I am saying that maybe God wants us in the seemingly insignificant roles so that it’s not us, but Him who receives the glory. What if we LIVED our day-to-day lives instead of planning what we will do when we…graduate high-school, graduate college, get that dream job, get married, get that dream promotion with the ocean-view office, have kids, write that best-selling novel, start an ultra-popular blog, get that other promotion, have the kids graduate high-school and college, have grandkids, grow old and…look back over everything and wish that we hadn’t stressed so much or put so much stock in things that didn’t really matter and wish that we had just lived and glorified God in every way we possibly could and glorified Him by just enjoying where He had us at every single point along the way – in His hands.

What if we lived our lives cohesively for just one purpose – to bring honor and glory to God.

“Lord, whatever comes
Make me steadfast, make me rooted
A cedar planted firm, deeply grounded in Your goodness
Whatever comes

Lord, whatever comes
Be my bedrock, keep me steady
Loyal to Your throne, whatever stands against me
Whatever comes” – Whatever Comes, Rend Collective

Food for thought,

Ann the Analytical Creative Sister