SoI may have been a bit inspired to write a blog post.

A few of my sorority sisters

have inspiring blogs; I have no idea what Im doing. But, Ill just share what God has put on
my heart tonight.
Life is a journey. Sounds clich. But we all know its true. Sometimes, especially as
college students, the reality that were about to be at a turning point in life can seem scary.
Some of us are graduating in May, and if not, most of us are upperclassman. One day we
will be transitioning into the real world. I dont know if youre like me, but I tend to be a
perfectionist. Not in the way that I feel compelled to make straight As or have my closet
color-coded, but I want to live a righteous life. That desire in itself isnt wrong, but we cant
let it control our lives. As a 21 year old, I am pretty young, but Ive experienced quite a bit in
my 21 years God has blessed me with life on this earth. One day when I graduate college,
Id love to help people. I dont know right now what that will look like. But thankfully, my
future is in Gods hands. That being said, with as little knowledge I have at this point in my
life, I want to share what Ive been learning lately
Life is unpredictable, sometimes consistency is apparent, other times life is full of
changes coming at you full force. Ecclesiastes tells us, There is a time and season for
everything under heaven. Knowing that, I suppose in terms of having a perfectionist
mentality, I see that its okay to be a work in progress. Dont be too hard on yourself. Jesus
isnt too hard on you. In fact, Hes just the complete opposite: He welcomes you in with
open arms. Think of the parable of The Prodigal Son. If youre not familiar with it, a son ran
away and spent his inheritance on the temporary pleasures of the world. When he came to
his senses, he returned home and his father was anything but angry with him. He was
overjoyed that his son returned home. He welcomed him with open arms. That is the kind of
God we serveHis love conquers His pain of seeing us follow our human desires. His love
guides everything He does. Rather than acting in anger when we cry out to Him after weve
sinned, He gives us mercy and unconditional love. He smiles upon us, delights in us, and
rejoices over us with singing. (Numbers 6:25 & Zephaniah 3:17). How does this tie into
approaching a new chapter in life as soon-to-graduate college students? Well, we dont
have to have it all together or all figured out to step into the future that God has already
ordained for His children. Its pretty great to know that when we feel incompetent or
uncertain, God is the one Rock we can run to and stand on as an unshakeable foundation.
When we stand on Him, He lifts us up to mount up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31).
We dont have to be fully mature to step into the real world. Maturity is a lifelong process.
Becoming like Christ is a lifelong journey. Free yourself to step into the unknown hand in
hand with a God who can be known, and who knows you and has your best interest at
heart.
Ill leave you with this maybe youre like me, or maybe youre not. Maybe there is
one area of your life you so badly want to perfect. We probably all want to be a perfectionist
in one area or another, right? Well, be at peace. The Christian band, Tenth Avenue North
celebrates the truth that we are free to struggle. In fact, imagine your life this way: You are
made up of a hundred little glass pieces. God is the artist; you are the art. A masterpiece
isnt finished overnight. I meanRome wasnt built in a day, right? Likewise, your life is a
project. Have no fear, God is up to something beautiful. You consist of those hundred pieces
and with each lesson you learn and mature, God fits a pretty piece of glass with another. Is
this always a smooth process? No. Seepretend that this project God is making out of your
life is a stained glass masterpiece. A stained glass masterpiece takes time to make. It
takes chiseling and refining of each and every little piece that composes the full
masterpiece. Because were human, we can be stubborn and fragile. But God is patient
when chiseling and refining us through our circumstances. Little by little, the stained glass
pieces fit together; the masterpiece becomes more of a believable reality that will be visible
one day. This whole beautification process of our souls takes all life long, as Christians. All
that to be said, one day we can look at our lives and see that every trial, victory, triumph
was not in vain. Our struggles make us stronger, more prepared to be used for His glory,
and more relatable to people. I believe God works all things together for good for those
who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Meaning that, Im
happy Ive gone through trying times, because those times have helped me to more easily
see through others through the eyes of Christ. This is fully Gods work and not my own. I
want to offer people hope and let them know that yes, I am a Christian, but that does not
make me exempt from struggling. I am human like anyone else. Have I seen God
accomplish what I never thought possible in my life? Yes!
Dont be discouraged if you havent perfected that one thing you cant seem to stop
struggling with, or if you dont feel like you can ever equip yourself to be prepared for the
real world. Thats not in your hands. Drop whatever it is that has a hold on you at the foot
of the cross. And praise God that one day you can look back and reflect on your life and see
how those broken glass pieces have fit together into a beautiful masterpiece, pieced
together by the master Craftsman!