I’m back! These past few months have been some of the hardest I’ve had in a long time, but in the midst of the struggles, there have also been some of the sweetest I’ve had in a while too. The lower the troughs, the higher the peaks.
I’ve just finished up my Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University. It’s been one of the highlight achievements of my life thus far, and truthfully, it tells more of God’s goodness, grace, and mercy more than anything else. It also tells of the incredible support I’ve received from my family, and friends. There were many moments when I wanted to give up, throw in the towel and just move on. I’m so glad I didn’t, though. As some very wise people have shared with me, there’s something defining and special about finishing what you begin. We are a people called to persevere, despite opposition and discouragement. There are so many stories in the Bible where perseverance is highly encouraged. Colossians 1, Hebrews 12, Galatians 6, Revelation 3, James 1, 2 Thessalonians 3, Ephesians 6, Hebrews 6, etc. In a way, each Biblical passage that pertains to not giving up is telling us that there will be opposition. There will come a time, if not multiple times, when giving up looks really nice. Yet, it’s in those moments that our true colors shine, and our true character surfaces. I’m grateful to have finished this academic race, only to soon pick up a radically different one.
I’m currently in the process of moving out of the house I’ve been renting with some good friends of mine. As I’m gathering all of my things and boxing them up, it’s surreal to think that very soon my life will take a drastic turn, and I will no longer have these comforts around me. A comfy bed, and my own room (and bathroom), among other things. However, one thing that has really hit me are all the memories I have with some incredible people who are in my life. These past seven and a half years of college hold within them innumerable moments where I’ve been stretched and grown in nearly every way possible. The contrast between who I was as a freshman and who I am now is quite revealing of how good our God is. It has been the people that have been placed in my life that has fueled the fire of transformation in me, people whom God has used in powerful ways to mold and shape me into who I currently am, and who I am continually striving to be. If there’s one thing I’ve realized it’s that we are communal beings, designed to live in community with one another. I have truly been blessed with some phenomenal community, and it’s been through this community that God has revealed so much of himself to me. My excitement for this next season of life cannot be overstated. Please pray for me, that I would continue to be open to the plethora of changes that still need to be made in me. Pray that I would embrace my brokenness, knowing that His power is made perfect in my brokenness and weaknesses.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Hope you’re encouraged, as I have been, through what I’ve shared.
I leave January 3rd to fly to Los Angeles and meet the rest of my team. From there we head off to Thailand, our first country. I hope to blog again before then.
