12 days.
288 hours.
17,280 minutes.
1,036,800 seconds.
And just like that I’m about done with my four years of college.
Life is coming in hot! This past weekend everything finally hit me. My friends and I only have 2 weeks left.
Freshman year my core group of girlfriends and I were hermits. Literally, we stayed on our floor all of first semester. Then, we decided to creep out of our shells and be a little adventurous. What we discovered will blow your minds… There was actually life and fun-ness outside of our hall!!! Who would’ve thought?!
We were told the friends you make your first year of college won’t be standing next to you by your last year. Oh how we are the exception! Since then we haven’t been hermits and we’ve made other friends, but our friendships with each other are stronger than ever. That’s what makes these last 12 days, there last 288 hours, so hard.
Yesterday (Sunday), was by far one of the hardest days yet. It started off by being prayed over by children and adult helpers of the Children’s Ministry I volunteer with at my church. God has set a passion on my heart for children, so when three of them volunteered to come up and lay hands on me while the other little ones stretched out their hands from their seats during the prayer I was brought to tears.
Then, later that night at our Sunday Night Worship on campus, the same group I was a hermit with gathered together to pray during the worship. I was reminded right then how blessed I am by them and how difficult it’ll be to leave them in this community.
Of course, our friendships will never end. We will always be there no matter where we are in the world – Yellowstone, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, 11 countries… But never again will we all live either a bunk above, below, or to the side or a couple minute walk from each other. At least not in this lifetime.
Yes, I’m getting sentimental knowing that I’ll be leaving people in less than 2 weeks and then more in a few months. BUT!!! God was, is, and always will be with the people I cherish. We will always be connected.
A great reminder that one of my friends keeps reminding us:
God is here.
God is in Yellowstone.
God is in Michigan.
God is in Iowa.
God is in Illinois.
God is in Pennsylvania.
God is in Haiti, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
God is with us.
So here’s the kicker… What do I have to fear or be sad for when I know that God is already in these places? I have nothing to fear! “Be not afraid. Where you go, there I am with.”
What I ask is for you to please pray for us.
Pray for our hearts as we’re getting ready for this next chapter.
Pray for us to still be intentional with school.
Pray for us to be intentional with each other and other people around us.
Pray for us to see God’s blessings in every second that we have left at school.
Grace and peace,
Hannah
