The adventure isn’t going to come and find me. I have to take a step forward and say, “Hey, Adventure, I’m right here. I will keep chasing after you even when my heart wants to run backwards.”

I believe that it’s the same with God when we hit certain crossroads in our lives.

As I write, I am reminded of a childhood book I read when I was young by Judy Blume called "Are you There, God? It’s Me, Margaret." It follows the story of a young girl who is trying to find her religious affiliation and identity. She’s growing up in the 1970s with parents of two different religious backgrounds and goes on an adventure in her own backyard. The adventure leads her to meet new people, learning new things about herself, and stepping out of her comfort zone as she seeks what is true in her life. The book is full of prayers that begin “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret…” The thing that strikes me about this character, now that I am older, is that she’s always seeking. When she meets a crossroad or faces a hard decision, she brings it to God even in her doubting. In the end, she always chooses to boldly step ahead.

I found myself at this crossroad when it came time to choose a college to attend. I made a choice, and I stepped forward. When it came time to to stay or transfer to a better place suited to my beliefs, I chose the unbeaten path at the time. It wasn’t popular or welcomed, and it certainly didn't make any sense to the people I surrounded myself with. It made sense to me, though. That small choice has lead me to where I am today, writing this piece in my kitchen after an extremely eye-opening year of travel.

I think it’s important to take things one day at a time. It’s the little daily decisions that influence our lives moving forward. I have a good friend that always reminded me to take things “one day at a time” in college, but I never exactly took her advice to slow down until I left and realized how important it is to rest easy. The Lord already knows what’s up in this lifetime. There is never a time, place, or circumstance where he doesn’t want you to be.

It took me a really long time of ups and downs during my walk of faith to get to this very point and mindset. My playing the victim in situations I had no control over did me no good when I was in college. Even more, I had every chance throughout college to step out in confidence more than I did, but I allowed the ugly thought of “I’m not good enough” to keep me from making friends and deeper connections with people I wanted to be around more often than I was. I waited until the last minute to let myself step forward in boldness, and I left college regretting not doing it sooner.

If you’re in college or recently just out and know in your heart that you are enough, don’t let the thought in your head that you are not enough steal your shine. Don’t ever stop seeking the Lord when you hit that personal crossroad in life—that crossroad being a slight change in friends, job, life-path, major, or healthier decisions that will make you a better person inside and out. The crossroad where you’re standing could be exactly where He wants you.

The only signal you need is a green light to keep going in whatever direction He has waiting for you. Until then, seek adventure in the middle, using the red light as your shiny disco ball. Don’t let anyone pass you by or remain unseen by people who are on their way because you could learn something extraordinary from them and the same in return. Be bold and invite others in. Create traffic right where you are and see the people around you for all they are worth. When the red light turns yellow and then green, you’ll be leaving that center crossroad party with a group of healthy and positive people supporting you.

What’s stopping you? Step out today and boldly proclaim, “I am here, and I see you. Let's do this thing together.”