SoI may have been a bit inspired to write a blog post.

A few of my sorority
sisters have inspiring blogs; I have no idea what Im doing. But, Ill just share what God
has put on my heart tonight.
Life is a journey. Sounds clich. But we all know its true. Sometimes, especially
as college students, the reality that were about to be at a turning point in life can seem
scary. Some of us are graduating in May, and if not, most of us are upperclassman. One
day we will be transitioning into the real world. I dont know if youre like me, but I tend
to be a perfectionist. Not in the way that I feel compelled to make straight As or have my
closet color-coded, but I want to live a righteous life. That desire in itself isnt wrong, but
we cant let it control our lives. As a 21 year old, I am pretty young, but Ive experienced
quite a bit in my 21 years God has blessed me with life on this earth. One day when I
graduate college, Id love to help people. I dont know right now what that will look like.
But thankfully, my future is in Gods hands. That being said, with as little knowledge I
have at this point in my life, I want to share what Ive been learning lately
Life is unpredictable, sometimes consistency is apparent, other times life is full of
changes coming at you full force. Ecclesiastes tells us, There is a time and season for
everything under heaven. Knowing that, I suppose in terms of having a perfectionist
mentality, I see that its okay to be a work in progress. Dont be too hard on yourself.
Jesus isnt too hard on you. In fact, Hes just the complete opposite: He welcomes you in
with open arms. Think of the parable of The Prodigal Son. If youre not familiar with it, a
son ran away and spent his inheritance on the temporary pleasures of the world. When
he came to his senses, he returned home and his father was anything but angry with
him. He was overjoyed that his son returned home. He welcomed him with open arms.
That is the kind of God we serveHis love conquers His pain of seeing us follow our
human desires. His love guides everything He does. Rather than acting in anger when
we cry out to Him after weve sinned, He gives us mercy and unconditional love. He
smiles upon us, delights in us, and rejoices over us with singing. (Numbers 6:25 &
Zephaniah 3:17). How does this tie into approaching a new chapter in life as soon-to-
graduate college students? Well, we dont have to have it all together or all figured out to
step into the future that God has already ordained for His children. Its pretty great to
know that when we feel incompetent or uncertain, God is the one Rock we can run to
and stand on as an unshakeable foundation. When we stand on Him, He lifts us up to
mount up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). We dont have to be fully mature to step
into the real world. Maturity is a lifelong process. Becoming like Christ is a lifelong
journey. Free yourself to step into the unknown hand in hand with a God who can be
known, and who knows you and has your best interest at heart.
Ill leave you with this maybe youre like me, or maybe youre not. Maybe there
is one area of your life you so badly want to perfect. We probably all want to be a
perfectionist in one area or another, right? Well, be at peace. The Christian band, Tenth
Avenue North celebrates the truth that we are free to struggle. In fact, imagine your life
this way: You are made up of a hundred little glass pieces. God is the artist; you are the
art. A masterpiece isnt finished overnight. I meanRome wasnt built in a day, right?
Likewise, your life is a project. Have no fear, God is up to something beautiful. You
consist of those hundred pieces and with each lesson you learn and mature, God fits a
pretty piece of glass with another. Is this always a smooth process? No. Seepretend
that this project God is making out of your life is a stained glass masterpiece. A stained
glass masterpiece takes time to make. It takes chiseling and refining of each and every
little piece that composes the full masterpiece. Because were human, we can be
stubborn and fragile. But God is patient when chiseling and refining us through our
circumstances. Little by little, the stained glass pieces fit together; the masterpiece
becomes more of a believable reality that will be visible one day. This whole
beautification process of our souls takes all life long, as Christians. All that to be said,
one day we can look at our lives and see that every trial, victory, triumph was not in vain.
Our struggles make us stronger, more prepared to be used for His glory, and more
relatable to people. I believe God works all things together for good for those who love
Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Meaning that, Im happy
Ive gone through trying times, because those times have helped me to more easily see
others through the eyes of Christ. This is fully Gods work and not my own. I want to
offer people hope and let them know that yes, I am a Christian, but that does not make
me exempt from struggling. I am human like anyone else. Have I seen God accomplish
what I never thought possible in my life? Yes!
Dont be discouraged if you havent perfected that one thing you cant seem to
stop struggling with, or if you dont feel like you can ever equip yourself to be prepared
for the real world. Thats not in your hands. Drop whatever it is that has a hold on you
at the foot of the cross. Life is a journey and is meant to be one. Youre not meant to
reach every destination by tomorrow. And praise God that one day you can look back
and reflect on your life and see how those broken glass pieces have fit together into a
beautiful masterpiece, pieced together by the master Craftsman!