A big congratulations to those who are celebrating a graduation this month. As I circle the neighborhood during our daily walks, I’m seeing more and more “Congrats Grad!” signs on lawns and front doors.
It was a reminder of just how long it’s been since my own graduation and it got me reminiscing about the past as Barry sniffed the same patch of grass over and over again.
I remember how harsh the transition felt for me as I stepped into the ‘real’ world.
I was used to my days and weeks ruled by a consistent schedule. Classes on Monday through Thursday, because I had meticulously crafted my week to avoid Friday classes. Small groups on Tuesday, InterVarsity on Thursday, and game night at our place on Fridays and Saturdays. The occasional poker game throughout the week.
Life was good.
But then I started working and I started facing the normal challenges of working a job. Clients, bosses, deadlines…you know the deal.
I can even remember a handful of moments when I thought that this was all too much…
Having my first panic attack on my way home from work because I had no idea what I was doing at work (I was 22 lol)
Putting in insane hours to meet a last minute deadline…getting home close to 4am on some nights
Preparing for a client meeting with a tough client where I had to deliver bad news and dreading his reaction
In the moment, these felt like the most challenging thing in the world.
An overreaction in retrospect, but when something unexpected hits us, it’s easy to fall into that trap. To think that whatever is enclosing the world around us in the moment is actually the end.
There were hundreds of other moments where I felt the sudden pang and tightness in my chest as I was convinced that the sky was collapsing. A dreaded email, the late night, “Hey” instant message….but as I sit here today and scroll through my memory, all of these moments drift away into a mere moment in time.
These situations which felt impossible are whittled down to little mental Polaroids that you occasionally think about and toss back into your memory bank. You may even chuckle thinking about how much you’ve grown since that moment and how the things you deal with today tower over anything you ever had to worry about back then.
No matter what you face today, we are called to just keep marching forward like obedient soldiers. Whether you believe in fate or destiny or a higher power, there is always a Tuesday and then a Wednesday….so on so forth.
The giants that you face today will be but a shrinking memory as you glance in the rear view…as long as you keep moving forward.
Have a great week ahead.