You just woke up. You realize that you don’t have anymore classes to go to. No more assignments to complete on blackboard. The exam you were worried about is completed. You’re wondering… “did I really just graduate?” Yes. Yes you did.
Congratulations Class of 2019!
Whoop! Whoop! To graduate from any level of education is a glorious achievement that many don’t have the privilege of attesting to. So I salute you and applaud you for this great accomplishment!
The askers have probably all been knocking on your door with the “what’s next?” question. Isn’t it so daunting? I mean you just finished one thing, can’t you just get a break before going to the next? I know. I want a break too, but life continues to go on, even if you don’t want to go with it. It’s an ongoing cycle of completing one thing and moving on to the next. Nothing ever really satisfies you. You can get all the degrees in the world and yet still feel like something is missing. That missing piece is Jesus.
See the question of “what’s next?” after every milestone in life can be daunting because we simply don’t know. We don’t know what to expect after graduating, or after securing a job, or getting accepted to another school and that is a-okay! But, when your life is in the hands of Someone who does know, you can have peace. Those endless worries can come to a halt. Your anxiety can be stilled. And your stress pimples can go away.
The Bible says that we will have many trials and sorrows. There will be trial after trial after trial. But when you know the One who holds the world in His hands, you can take heart (John 16:33). You can be at peace because you know He has overcome the world. No problem can arise that He can’t take care of. No situation can prolong that He won’t work on. You can be still and know that God is with you every single step of the way.
So you may have realized that the day after graduation is when things begin to become real. School really is over, you really did secure that diploma/degree(s). No more all-nighters, no more annoying teachers/professors, no more long days of classes (unless you’re still pursuing more education). There’s no more of these things, so what will there now be more of? You may not know the answer, and that’s okay. The question doesn’t have to be daunting if you don’t allow it to. That question should instead encourage you. Encourage? Yes. Encourage you. For someone to ask you that question, it shows that you have the capability to do what’s next. It shouldn’t make you question your ability to do what’s next simply because you don’t have knowledge of it yet. You’ve completed one stage, so you can very well complete the next one too.
Instead of worrying about what is next, focus on the fact that though you may not know what is next, you have the ability to do what is next, and you have a God who has promised to take care of you in this season and the next. God did just help you accomplish one thing, so why think He won’t help you through another? or help you get to that other?
So 2019 graduates, I encourage you to press forward on the journey you’re about to embark in faith that you can and will conquer it, just like you’ve conquered these past few academic years! Know that God is faithful and He will complete the good work that He has begun in you!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27
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