Everyday I’m reminded that Graduation is right around the corner. And turn another corner, and it’ll be time for launch. I want freedom from this constant reminder. I don’t want to have the pressure of trying to make every moment the best moment possible. I don’t want to constantly be trying to make everything that’s great even better.
I want to be still instead of rushed. I want to rest in the presence of The Lord instead of trying to get something from his presence. I want my mind to stop wondering and stay with what’s right in front of me. I want to delight in the simple and rejoice in the mundane instead of striving for an improvement. I want to worship instead of process. I want to be satisfied in my hunger for The Lord instead of trying to get more. I want to stop wanting.
Instead of wanting more, I want to see more in the ordinary. I want to see that God does more in the waiting, in the mundane, than I dare to imagine. I want to see that these are the times that God romances me. Sure I love the amazing stories and the instant grace, but my Savior has won my heart by what he does in between those times. It’s here that he shows me he knows my soul, that he created my soul. It’s in my resting he hears my worship. It’s here that He captures my heart for eternity.
He reminds me to rest. He reminds me that the quiet times that seemed pointless drew me closer to him. In the endless blog reading, he whispered truth to my heart, and in the hours of worship music playing in the background, he was glorified.
It’s during the ordinary, the mundane, the normal Tuesdays, that God captures me with grace.
I’ll remember the trips and the adventures that college has given me. But I’ll treasure the ordinary. The conversations that happen when a friend doesn’t want to be left alone, because the cable guy is a little sketchy. The runs that were slower than desired, but had conversations deeper than could have been imagined. The football games that ended with a Coke Icee no matter the score. The phone calls that last well past midnight, because it’s impossible to catch up on the last five days in under two hours. The precious time spent waiting for a tow truck that turned out to be better than a few hours of sleep. The trips to CVS to get Gatorade with the twist top after a late night run. The impromptu study dates where homework deadlines couldn’t compete with conversations about Our Savior. The planned Netflix marathons, because C’s earn degrees. The sleepovers that never involved sleep. The farmer’s market trips to get the very best candles Gainesville has to offer. The late night conversations that required at least one package of Oreos. And of course, the worship nights that always ended too soon.
As I struggle with wanting more of the epic, he reminds me to rejoice in the simple. I do have less than six weeks left of college. But that means I have 40 ordinary days for God to show me his grace.
