Hello lovely reader,
If you’re a senior (student, not citizen) like yours truly, you’ve reached a certain season. All of a sudden, the sun is shining, birds are chirping, spring has sprung, and YOU ARE BARRELING TOWARDS GRADUATION AT FULL SPEED. I am an emotional pendulum, swinging from nostalgia to panic 2-3 times per day. Everyone says “college goes by fast,” “enjoy it while it lasts,” “best years of your life” … blah blah blah. These cliches usually go in one ear and out the other, but recently, and to my own horror, I’ve let a few escape my lips. In four short weeks, I will don a cap and gown and step into a new, terrifying chapter of life. Here’s a quick update on what’s happening next.
May 14, somewhere between 12 and 1pm: I will receive my B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech Pathology + Audiology) and become a Badger alumna. If you’re interested in watching the ceremony, I think it’s live streamed online… and you can catch our keynote speaker, Russell Wilson (!)
May 15 to August 3/4: I’ll be spending my very first summer in Madison! Woohoo! I’m planning on nannying two very cute kids part-time as well as support-raising. [UPDATE: I have reached my goal of $5,000 by May– praise God! He has been so so so faithful up to this point, and I am completely encouraged by the support that’s come in. I’m trusting the Lord for another $5,000 (a total of $10,000) by mid July. This is a much scarier and quicker deadline, so please pray for my team and me!]
June 8-18: I’ll be heading to Gainesville, Georgia to meet my new family for the next year. We have a World Race training camp for ten days, and I’m excited to see what God will show me in preparation for the year ahead!
August 3 or 4: My backpack and I will be leaving the USA for eleven whole months! I’ll be stepping onto a plane and out of my comfort zone. That being said, I am so excited to witness the ways that God is working across the globe. Please stay tuned to this blog for more updates as I go!
I think the scariest part about World Race is the unknown. I haven’t met my team yet, I don’t know what exactly I’ll be doing each day. It’s difficult to anticipate and prepare without feeling anxious. I don’t love change to begin with (ask my parents how long it took me to adjust to our new house… down the street). This will be a year FULL of change.
This past summer, we taught our campers this simple verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” [Hebrews 13:8]
What a beautiful promise that we can claim for ourselves, two centuries later. Jesus will never, ever change. The same guy who suffered for me and rose from the dead is the one empowering me to write this to you. In the Bible, when he speaks of his unfailing love for his children, that is the same love he has for me. When Jesus promises his disciples an eternity in his presence, I know I can cling to that very same hope. God is not weak or fickle. His character is steadfast, and that is why I can trust him with this crazy future of mine.
