Congratulations! You did it! All the long days and nights, exams and papers you thought would never end finally have. Your hard work paid off. You graduated!
In the middle of a global pandemic.
Suddenly, the unknown is bigger than you could have ever imagined. The dream you’ve worked so hard for doesn’t even get the big celebration it deserves. I get it. I’ve been there. I graduated two months after the Great Recession of 2008 hit, and I had no idea if I’d get a job in my field, let alone a job anywhere. You might be feeling the same things we all did at that time. Fear, anxiety, uncertainty, stress, grief, anger. It’s okay to feel those things, to acknowledge them to yourself and to the important people in your life. But it’s what you do from there that truly matters.
One of my favorite challenges in the Bible about fear comes from Paul. In Philippians 4:6-7, he writes “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
For me, in that time of fear and unknown, I knew that it was time to get scrappy. I had to go after whatever God put in front of me, even if it had nothing to do with what I’d worked so hard for, what I’d dreamed of. I needed to give my request to God and trust, but also do my part.
I took the random jobs, the ones that weren’t my ideal, and God showed up in ways I never considered! Those jobs, that time, became a strong foundation on which I grew as a follower of Christ, where I grew as a leader, and eventually what brought me to some amazing ministry opportunities. I have never regretted taking the time to seek after God in those moments of fear and unknown, trusting what God put in front of me was for a purpose.
What is that dream of yours you’ve worked so hard toward? That request, that need? I challenge you to put thought and word to it, to spend time giving it over to God, but also to take it a step further. What job or volunteer role can you take in this crazy season of quarantine that can help you grow as an individual, as a leader, friend, spouse, parent or sibling? What is it that God may be trying to teach you in this time? You will never regret taking the time to sit back, pray, seek counsel from others, and trust. The peace Paul talks about is real, and it comes to us in so many ways, if we just take the time to open our hearts and minds to look for it.
So get out there and chase after God, chase after those dreams—allow God to work in and through you during this crazy season. And remember God is always there to offer you peace, especially in the midst of the unknown.
Written by Megs Kubiszewski, search associate, NL Moore & Associates