22 simple truths i learned in college (thoughts from a future racer about to graduate on why being 22 is messy, but wonderful.)

If my life is a bucket, it feels like it’s been turned upside down. If you’re also 22, maybe you can relate.

As I moved out of my house last week, it literally did look like my life was spread out on the floor at my feet. Everything about the place I’ve called home for the past four years was suddenly out of place. I wanted to hit pause and hang it all back up where I think it belongs, but I had to unpack, pack up, and move out.

As much of a celebration as graduation is, there’s a certain sadness that hangs over it. Some of us are ready, some of want more time. Some of us know where we’re heading, some of us don’t. We know we’ll see our best friends again, but we don’t know when “when” is. We’ve put roots down in a place with people we call family, and then suddenly, the timer just runs out.

What comforts me is knowing that my time in college had a purpose, and that purpose has been served. This next phase of my life has a purpose, too. And it’s time to go fulfill it.

This image has been indelible in my mind this week: if my life is an upside down bucket, God is standing in the middle of all the pieces. He is sorting through the scraps with me, putting the things back in the bucket that He knows I will need, and leaving the things out that He knows I won’t. Sometimes, he even puts in new things, new treasures, so that in the opportune moment, he can watch me pull them out and take joy in my surprises.

Life is messy. But God is in the midst of the mess. And he knows what to do with all of the pieces at my feet on the floor.

A few weeks back I started thinking about who I was four years ago. And God said to me, Don’t you see all that I have done?

And truly, He has done so much. I have grown not just academically as a student, but personally, emotionally, and spiritually as a person. College solidified my passion for writing, taught me to love telling stories with a camera, showed me that I can speak Spanish, and do work that does good for people. And at the same time, I learned so much about who I am and what my role in this life is.

So, a week out from grad, here’s a copy of that journal entry I wrote. We’ll call it “22 simple truths i learned in college.”

#1. Remember people’s names.
#2. Write handwritten thank you cards.
#3. When someone asks if you’re up for an adventure, the answer is yes.
#4. Know what it means to go deep in your relationships, not just wide.
#5. Do your grocery shopping at Aldi’s foods. (Seriously.)
#6. Be stubborn, but only in the way you choose to love people.
#7. Be humble. Embrace that your way isn’t always the best way. Be teachable.
#8. Learn to confront things you want to run away from.
#9. Ask God for the impossible. Honor Him with the boldness of your request.
#10. Remember that you’ve been forgiven, and forgive others.
#11. In the words of John Mayer: Say what you need to say.
#12. Be brave. Not because you yourself are fearless, but because you serve a God who cannot fail.
#13. Give your life away.
#14. Pray in all things in your heart without ceasing.
#15. Actively, intentionally study the Word of God. It is living, breathing and active.
#16. There will always be just 24 hours in a day and you will consistently not be able to finish everything on your to-do list. Know that it’s okay, and learn to say “no” when you need to.
#17. Embrace your weaknesses as a chance for the Lord to demonstrate His power (2 Corinthians 12:9).
#18. Cultivate gentleness in word, in tone, and in action.
#19. Make Jesus the love of your life. Spend time with Him like it’s true.
#20. Hold others to a standard of grace, not perfection.
#21. Never give up. Especially on people. 
#22. Embrace change. Be happy where your feet are at. Life is moving, but Jesus is a constant.

Here’s to four days until graduation. 60 days until training camp. 105 days of summer interning. And a year of filling back up the bucket.

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 Thank you for reading my blog and following along this journey with me! It means so much! I want to thank everyone in my life for loving me so well during the “messy 22s” and all of the emotions that come along with it. And I especially want to thank everyone who is giving to help me answer God’s call into missions. THANK YOU. I am overwhelmed and humbled by your generosity. I want to let everyone know that I have raised enough support to answer the call to GO. That’s HALF. I am so grateful. This means I have raised enough that in September, I will be boarding a plane to Thailand! I still have another half to go, but I am confidently expectant that the Lord will maintain His promise of provision. I love having to lean on the Lord’s strength in this process, because this is NOT something I could be doing all on my own. 

This morning I was particularly encouraged by some words in Acts 5: “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

You can support me by clicking the “Support Me” link on this blog. Feel free to email me with any questions! ([email protected]) Thank you to everyone who has become a part of this story and to everyone still coming alongside!