You know those moments that you’ve dreamed about your whole life? The big monumental life markers that you’ve always hoped would happen but somehow kind of thought you would never reach? College graduation is one of those for me.
5 years, 4 living arrangements, 3 schools, 2 majors, and 1 AWESOME God later…
I am OFFICIALLY graduating college!!
Its happening! Its real! And I’m laying in bed pinching myself cause there is no way.
Being the incredibly nostalgic human that I am, I’ve been thinking about the last 5 years a lot the last couple of days, and man a lot has happened.
When I started this adventure at 18 I thought it would all be pretty easy. I was smart, independent, and invincible (spoiler alert: college has a way of disproving all of these things) so what could possibly go wrong? Hah. So so many things. But the really cool thing is that being able to see the big picture makes the things that went “wrong” make so much sense. Standing at the end I can now look back at all the chaos, all the uncertainty, the fear, frustration, and see how God was working in and through those things the whole time. Looking at the whole picture rather than individual situations I now see bonding experiences, perfect timing, growth, learned flexibility, and the story of how one girl was super blessed and now has a whole village behind her.
And all of that has been perfect training for the life God has called me to. I’ve felt called to the foreign mission field since I was 15. And I have spent the last 5 years learning how to accept God’s plans over mine, how to build relationships with people very different than myself, how to fight for what is right, how to forgive and love, how to have a real personal relationship with my Jesus, and how to allow others to come along side me in this crazy thing called life.
People always ask me what part of the World Race scares me the most. I think they expect me to say the unknown, the finances, or really anything. But, the reality is that I’ve been preparing for this trip everyday for the last 5 years. Long before I ever knew that the World Race existed. God has given me the beautiful opportunity to practice flexibility and be forced to fully trust Him in all things.
When I moved to Jonesboro I did not know a single soul, I was still recovering from a traumatic experience that happened back in my home town, and I was searching for a start over button. So, that first week of school I marched my happy butt into stAtes BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry), found the most official looking human I could see, walked up to him and said “Hi. My name is Courtney Yerkes. Who are you?” Fortunately, I picked correctly and introduced myself to the BCM director and that’s how I found my home away from home. The next semester a wonderful lady opened her home to me for the school year (did I mention I met her literally as I moved my stuff into her spare bedroom? Yeah…God obviously has big plans for me because I should have been kidnapped a long time ago) and 6 weeks later I changed my major. I could tell you stories of the trips I’ve been on, the friendships that have been made, the injuries I’ve incurred, the “I’m not gonna graduate” scares (3. 3 too many to be exact), or the times spent worshipping both corporately and individually.
But instead, I’m just going to say this. God’s plans and timing are perfect. It may feel like chaos and as if it couldn’t possibly work out for the good. But we are fallible short-sighted beings that are only able to see what’s happening in the moment. God is omniscient and omnipotent with perfect plans for our lives. If college has taught me nothing, it has taught me that the comfortable and easy path is not where I want to be. I want to be on the path that God has for me, and that one is usually filled with the most glorious chaos.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
I can say with confidence my college career has been my biggest adventure yet, but I know the best is yet to come.
