And So My Pilgrimage Goes On

This weekend was truly it. Yes, I technically graduated in December; but this past weekend, I feel as if I took a huge leap into another season of life. I watched my class, from acquaintances to best friends, receive blessings, explode with cheers, receive a diploma, and yes…graduate. It was all I could do to keep from exploding into tears. We were all taking huge steps, about to dive into situations we probably had never envisioned for ourselves. I couldn’t help but wonder what some of my classmates, now military officers, were getting ready to face. What would life be for all of us now? Would we ever see each other again on this side of eternity? What would my world look like without them?

More and more now, I have been beginning to see my life as that of a gypsy, as you may have picked up from some of my posts. When one of the graduation speakers mentioned to our lives being a journey –a pilgrimage where people come and go in our lives, circumstances and environments change- her comments hit straight home to my heart. I could relate to her words; I so knew what she was talking about. It was a reality I was beginning to understand more and more now.

While the concept did not comfort me much from the empty sadness I felt of having to say many goodbyes and the strong emotions that swept through my soul about so many changes, it did help me gain some perspective and realize as well that my outlook on life has definitely changed since the beginning of college, and even perhaps within this past year. Life is truly a journey, a series of travels where my love for God and a resulting outpour towards people should never stop growing. Change happens –a lot. But I should not be afraid of it; rather, I must make the most of it, seeing how God can grow me closer to Him and use me more.

It’s hard, though, I’m going to be truly honest. It’s hard to say good-bye. It’s hard to move on. It’s hard to wonder if you ever see some of these people again. It’s hard not to think about the “what-if’s.” But I must focus on God’s faithfulness and His sovereignty –and His plan, His mission for me, for all of us.