Hi friends! Happy New Year!
Wow. It's been too long and here I am again feeling like I haven't written in what feels like forever.
I'm almost two years post grad from college and this time has made me reflect on a lot - career options, finances, friendships, hobbies, "adulting" and more. Now, life doesn't come with a manual but it sure would be helpful at times, am I right?
Post grad is this weird stage of making many decisions and taking things as they come. I've felt it can be difficult navigating the many questions such as:
"Is this the right career path?"
"Am I saving enough money?"
"What will my future look like?"
"How do I find my people/community now that I'm now around others my age?" etc.
Some of these could use that manual I mentioned haha. While many of these thoughts and questions have crossed my mind, the one that has particularly stuck with me in the past year or so is finding community and friendships. A while back I wrote on who you surround yourself with and why it matters. This is so important especially as you get older.
You might move back home after college, live with your parents, be on your own, move to a totally new city but whatever the case may be for you post grad or in your time of finding community -- just know you're not the only one and it looks different for everyone.
It can be tough making friends when you aren't around people your age all the time - you have to make more of an effort and take initiative. This can look like joining a group, whether it's a Bible study, book club, group at church or messaging someone. It also looks like finding a new hobby, taking a class like dance or art, and maybe getting an app for meeting others like Bumble BFF or Meetup.
One of my favorite podcasts, "In This Together" with Maia Mae Huff (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-this-together-podcast/id1606389860) has an episode on post grad. She said something that stuck with me, "we don’t have to wait for someone to pursue us, we can be the pursuers." I think in order to truly grow and put ourselves out there, we have to be comfortable in the uncomfortable and try new things, talk to the stranger, go to the Bible study you don't know anyone at. You never know what might happen!
I've heard of people talking about God confidence over self confidence. We can often feel like all these questions have to have answers and we need a five year plan, and to have everything figured out otherwise we are behind or aren't living like our peers (which we don't need to be).
Let me just say that if you're following God, you can never be behind. You are and always will be right on track and right on time. It doesn't matter if it looks different or "better" or "worse" than the person next to you. Your path is going to look different from everyone around you and that's ok.
Two of my words for the year are present and content. I find myself thinking too much about the future and not on the present moment I'm in. In the society we live in, I also find myself looking at others and wondering if I should be doing what they are doing, comparing and having FOMO. It may seem like everyone around you is either doing their dream job, getting engaged, getting married, having kids and more. The Lord has you right where He wants YOU and your time will come to have those experiences and opportunities in His timing. Don't rush the moment you're in.
At the end of the day, I want to be present in the moment I'M in and content with the life I'm living and where I'm at. I'm not meant to live the person next to me's life just like they're not meant to live mine. As long as I'm following the Lord and pursuing Him, everything will fall into place.
It is so easy to forget in the world we live in but we are made for more! More love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. I want to challenge you to find these fruits of the spirit weekly and work on one. Live in His image and not your own. This world is fleeting but life with Him is eternal. Post grad life and your twenties may be a scary, confusing and at times lonely season but remember you are never alone and the Lord is always with you. Keep taking steps in the right direction for that career, finances, new friendships and finding community. Don't forget to give yourself some grace too. He has a plan and you don't have to have everything figured out. Jeremiah 29:11 is very cliche but applicable and He does have a plan. Always.
I went to a concert last week and heard a song "That's The Thing About Praise" by Ben William Hastings. Some of the lyrics really spoke to me:
"There's what I want, and then there's where I'm at. Every one step forward, got me five steps back"
"That's why the only way through it is a hallelujah
Sometimes the only thing to do is just to hand it to Ya
And although my troubles shake me, I know they could never move Ya
Sometimes the only way through it is a hallelujah."
It's so easy in our world to feel like we aren't doing enough, we're doing too little or like we aren't where we think we are "supposed" to be. You don't have to have a plan for a decade from now and can't plan out every part of your life. Take it day by day. Put it all in the hands of the Lord. He has a plan and it's far greater than we can imagine for ourselves.
Another great podcast recommendation especially those in their twenties, college or post grad, Katie Bulmer's "Truth for your Twenties": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-for-your-twenties/id1470897215
Speaker, writer, author, Grace Valentine's website: https://gracevalentine.org/
That's the Thing about Praise:
You got this friend! Take the leap of faith and remember you were made for more.