It feels like just yesterday I was finishing up writing my piece on the amazing first year of college I had - now its time to flip the scrip. Everyone I know is getting ready to step into the next phase of life, and its all happening so fast. Some handle it better than others, but needless to say, its happening despite the emotions we feel towards it. Its a part of life; its something thats been dealt with for essentially all eternity: the next chapter in our lives. Coming off of (for a lot of us) an amazing summer for school doesn't necessarily give most a rush of adrenaline, but here comes that old cliche of "its all about what you make of it". So who's ready for another lecture on positivity (he asks sarcastically)? But seriously though, my readers may want to hear me out on this one.
Throughout this summer, I've heard a lot about staying "open minded;" not in the way the world would tell you to stay open minded, but rather the way to face a time in life with an open mind. Sometimes we can tend to look in the past and wish that the present was just as sweet, but have we ever thought of how much sweeter the present is if we just decided to enjoy whats happening right in front of our faces? In many of the novels I've had the pleasure of reading these past few months, its talked about how God gives us this renewed sense of vision; a lens that only those who seek him can tap into. This lens is a lens that we were always meant to look through; a lens that provides this weird sense of optimism not everyone can say they've had before. God's intent for us has always been to look forward to the future and everything he has for us; not to sit around and wish things were different than they are. Thats called being an open-door person! On the other hand, one mechanism the devil uses to hold us down is our past. Not that it's bad! But sometimes our past - whether it be past experiences or past mistakes- can keep us from looking forward. It can leave us in a state of depression, loneliness, and contentment. None of these 3 things come from God, and can often hinder us from actually experiencing the joy in which we could feel if we just decide to move on. Absolutely the next chapter of our lives can be scary, daunting, and unknown, but if nothing else, look at it as an adventure. God may have placed an open door in front of you, and instead of standing in front of it in denial, walk through! It'll honestly make for a healthier way of life.
Isaiah 43:18-19 even talks about this:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” That pretty much sums it up. Changes can be very difficult. Whether its a struggle to move into a new chapter, or its the unwillingness to let go of what was for what is, you'll have no choice but to accept that its happening with or without you. Its all about approaching it with the right motives at that point. Maybe its about regrets that you can't let go of. Maybe its about growing up too fast and living in the real world. Maybe its about fear of the future, but just know this: Its not about where you've been or what your doing; its about where your going. Just know that the voices or thoughts that consume the mind can hold us back with those previous thoughts of looking back; but those voices don't speak for you and I. They don't speak for the abundance of happiness we can choose to pursue if we take the right road in front of us. John Ortberg even says, "Don’t wait for passion to lead you somewhere you’re not. Start by bringing passion to the place where you are.” Be excited about where you've been and where your from. Get excited to gain knowledge as you let the Lord take you on a journey. Bring that passion of who you are - that confidence - to the different places you'll go. It's time to turn the page and enter the next chapter like an open door. Are you ready?
