Getting the career opportunity of a lifetime will not be your key to eternal happiness. If you're a rising senior in college and that's what you're banking on, then maybe it's time to move your money to a new bank. I mean, think about all those things in the past that you thought were the keys to eternal happiness. The summer I turned fifteen, it was learning to wear mascara. The next summer, it was the boy whose heart I was certain I had won via the mastery of mascara. The summer I turned seventeen it was the car, and the next summer, it was the promise of life in the dorm one town over in the fall. But come to think of it, good mascara is expensive, the guy turned out to be a real jerk, the car always needs gas if I drive it and the dorm is small and actually smells gross at times. Getting what we want is nice, but it also always seems to have some serious drawbacks.
Studies have shown that the average person changes careers seven times in his or her life. Sometimes it's a one hit wonder, but more often than not, it takes time to really settle into a career that you love and feel successful in. Lots of my friends are banking on the idea that God will show them where they are supposed to work for the rest of their life. That does happen, and that's wonderful. Then I have those friends who have known exactly what career they were pursuing from day one of kindergarten, which is also wonderful.
With all the celebration that our friends who have the rest of their lives mapped out this last year of college are doing, those of us who are less certain often forget that we can celebrate that too. You did read that correctly, actually. Let me repeat it: uncertainty is something to celebrate! It's okay to not know what comes next. It becomes particularly easy for Christians to be discouraged and think that God will not use them if they are not exactly in tune with God's grand plan.
God's grand plan is for those who love Him to share that love no matter what their major. Not knowing what the future holds just means more avenues are open for you to serve in. When serving in a particular area gives you feelings of joy and fulfillment then, chances are, that's exactly where you are supposed to be serving.
The unknown is an uncomfortable part of life to live in. It means that you will probably be criticized multiple times by your well meaning friends and family members. Sometimes it means you pursue graduate school simply so that you can buy yourself some time. Whatever it means for you, know that it is okay to not have every aspect or even an aspect of the future planned out. Keep working hard and rejoicing in the uncertainty.
