(Me and two of my amazing national competition teammates.. Graduating!!)
This week has been one of endings and beginnings. I graduated from college yesterday, and have been reflecting on my college years and what they mean to me now…
1. For two years, I moved away from home and learned he meaning of being on my own. I learned how to care for myself, make my own decisions (good or bad), and how to deal with the blessings and consequences of those decisions.
2. I traveled the world. I went to Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey, and China. Some were vacations and others were mission trips. All of them opened my eyes to the world. I saw poverty, spiritual darkness, apathy, broken hearts, and a lost world. All of my travels have been stepping stones of preparation for the journey I am about to experience.
3. I learned the meaning of hard work. Because I was responsible for paying for my own education, I had to work two part time jobs (remodeling houses and modeling with my agency) while taking a minimum of 12 hours of class (most of the time it was more like 18).
4. I learned leadership skills. I was unanimously chosen to be the leader of my universities national construction management competition team. This was probably the most challenging part of my college career. I put everything I had into this project: 3.5 months time, ZERO Christmas break, money, and sanity. I was pressed on every side for sure. But here I learned how to lead… I led us to a second place victory in the nation amongst 43 schools. And it was God who helped me lead the way. Without Him, we could have done nothing.
5. I learned how to share my faith. Once a week, I would go out on campus and just share my faith with those whom God put in my path. This was great training. I learned a lot about what to say, how to say it, and how to be effective. I saw that I MUST be relational with people. This is a lesson I have learned in the past few months.
6. I saw how God can heal my heart. I dated a guy who I thought I was going to marry… We were even looking at engagement rings. About a year and a half ago, God took him away from me. I was so confused and hurt by the circumstances surrounding our breakup and wondered how God could take something away from me that I loved so much. I realize now, that as much as I miss what we had, I couldn't have the life that I do now with him still around. Because of him, I went on my first mission trip. Without him, I can continue to travel to the four corners of the earth proclaiming the Good News. God healed my heart, even though it has taken a very long time, and He has shown me that He knows what He is doing. I am too small to understand… So I'll just trust Him.
7. I have experienced completing something! Walking across that stage felt amazing. I look forward to the reward of finishing a year of ministry.
I have learned WAY more than this in my four years of college. But these are the things that stick out at me. I have so much joy to be finished. God has been revealing to me over the past few days that everything I have experienced is, in some way, preparation for the journey ahead: I will be away from home, traveling the world, working hard, leading others, sharing my faith, needing God's healing in my life and the lives of others, and completing a HUGE task. I've been in training for 4 years…. And the wild ride will soon begin. My graduation was not the end, but rather the beginning of an amazing adventure.
Please keep me in your prayers. Pray that God protects me, strengthens me, equips me, and uses me in mighty ways. I will need all the gifts of the Spirit that He wants me to have. While I have been in "training" over these past few years, there is still SO much to learn. I want to be prepared.
My God bless you immensely,
Kaitlyn
Ps- Here's an article written about me in the local paper regarding the Race… Kinda cool!
http://www.dnj.com/article/20110424/BUSINESS/104240321/MTSU-student-puts-job-offers-hold-trip-help-needy?odyssey=tab
(Preparing!! It was recommended that we walk a mile a day with our packed backpack on..
Here's to my first day! We will see how long this lasts!)
