This graduation announcement is one of the many drafts I went through before I finally created one that I absolutely loved. (The final draft is going out in the mail this week!) I have used most of my free time the past couple of days playing around with graduation announcements in Photoshop, and now that I am done I am realizing that creating and mailing graduation announcements means that graduation is SO SOON. It seems strange that there are only 10 class days left and a week of finals. I’m not so sure that I really understand what it will mean to be a college graduate, yet. I don’t think it will feel real until January rolls around and everyone is moving back in without me. I already have days where I get pretty emotional, so I cannot imagine what move-in day is going to feel like when I’m packing for China instead. Don’t get me wrong–I am stoked about China. To actually print, “Jessica plans to teach English in Beijing, China…” is thrilling and terrifying all at once. It makes this a reality. I am starting down a new path, and I can barely see the road ahead.
For the longest time, I was afraid that not being able to see down the path in front of me was a bad thing. I have wrongly assumed that having uncertainties in my future meant that I had chosen the wrong path. I know that I’m going to China, but I have no idea what to expect. I know that I’m applying to grad school, but I have no clue what will happen after that. Surely that’s a sign that these are the wrong choices for my life, a lack of confirmation from God. Well, I don’t believe that one bit. In the past several months, I have learned a lot about Christian liberty, and that has been, well, liberating. I have come to realize that I have the liberty to make choices in life that lead me down paths that I believe to be beneficial and enjoyable, as long as I seek to glorify the One who has made these paths for me. When morality and the law do not prohibit an action, God grants us liberty to make life decisions using the wisdom that He has given us. Even if I chose the RUF Internship or Teach for America, God would still use me. Knowing that makes it less tempting to question my decisions and ask, ‘what if?’
a thousand new paths 