Nostalgia vs Contentment

A few things piled up today, and made me think thoughts and such.  Stephanie visited last weekend, and naturally we ended up talking a lot about post-college life.  As always, having someone tell me they feel what I feel...makes me feel the opposite.  BECAUSE I AM CONTRARY.  But in this case, it was good!  As she moaned and worried about not being at Union and the constant friendships and not knowing what to do with life, I started thinking that pft, graduating was not such a big deal (even though I totally moaned and cried about it myself at the time).

And I just finished a book in which the main character graduates from high school and says the typical "I don't want high school to be the best four years of my life, or the rest of my life will suck."  And I heartily agreed until I realized that is how I view college.  And...I don't want the rest of my life to suck!

But the kicker came in Joel's sermon, wherein his very first sentence was "nostalgia can be very harmful to your faith."  I actually thought he was talking directly to me.  Everything he said was true, and as a result of all these things swimming through my synapses, I've decided to compare my current life with my college life.  And you know what?  Current life wins.

Granted, college was awesome.  Some of my absolute favorite friendships were formed during those years.  I had hilarious adventures and cuddly downtimes.  It was a wonderful three and a half year experience.

But since college?  I moved to Senegal, and made yet more absolute favorite friendships.  I got a real job, which I love!  I get to be in charge of things--I have responsibility and creative freedom.  People look to me for answers, and I get to start new things and change things for the better.  Instead of going to church for myself, I am now on the giving end of church relationships.  I am so super excited about working with the junior high Sunday School girls.  (More on them at the end of this post.)  Again, I love being a part of something where I have responsibility and authority.

I am free to do what I want when I want.  There is no school schedule constricting my plans.  Yes, I have a job, but an awesome one in which my boss lets me take three weeks off in July no problem.  When I figure out my next move in life, I can just do it!  There is no longer a stairstep of accomplishments ahead of me.  The world is mine, and I can go where I want when I want.  I can do what I want.  I can be with who I want.

So yeah.  College rocked, and I'm so grateful for those memories.  But my life rocks right now too!  And I fully anticipate that it is only going to get better, all the way until I'm rocking the track suits and wrinkles.

(Okay, so here is my junior high girls Sunday School story.  Two weeks ago we talked about missions, and I was so exhilarated when they, on their own, said they wanted to be a part of missions, locally and supporting foreign missionaries, since they are too young to participate in that themselves.  Of course I was not going to let that opportunity go.  I thought about doing something for the Forsythes, but they are Woodland's missionary celebs at the moment--and rightfully so, because I love them dearly!--and I wanted someone else to be supported.

Who better than the Petrous?  I brought in pictures from my Greece trips and read to them from the Petrous latest newsletter.  I explained their financial situation, and my girls were immediately all about helping them!  I love their passion!  They decided that we would make a bunch of crafts, then sell stuff at church in a few weeks.  The money we make will go to the Petrous.  We planned out dates, and I might even get a couple of them to make an announcement in our worship services.

Before I left Senegal, the one thing I really felt like God wanted me to do in Peoria was mentor younger girls.  AND IT IS HAPPENING.  I mean, that scares me sometimes, because I am far from perfect.  But it's moments like these, when I see God using my passions and passing them on to other people, that I am so confident in God's guidance of my life.  That subject could be a whole separate post.  And probably will be someday.)