A Blog Post for Everyone:

It’s okay that it's not okay...

It’s hard to believe it has been almost two years since my last blog post. Up until a few weeks ago, I thought my blogging days were extinct.  That was until a special guy I know persistently encouraged me to give blogging another chance. Transitioning out of a not so realistic life in Chapel Hill into the “postgrad life,” has been more difficult than I imagined. I’ve learned a lot from the process, confirming there’s a lot more to be learned.  I have found that times like these are the best times to blog, as I want to share my experiences with others.

If you too, are a recent college grad, you can probably relate to how my life has felt over the past two months.  Conversations with my “college friends” leave me relieved to know I’m not the only one who has found this season of life to be surprisingly difficult.  From new marriages, to jobs or lack thereof, grad school and much more, our milestones may vary, but they have left us with a common sensation: “I feel like I’m constantly knocked over by ocean waves before I can ever get back on my feet,” as one friend metaphorically put it.   While this is especially true for recent college graduates, I have a feeling life tends to make us feel this way no matter how old or young we are. Therefore, this is a post for everyone.

Disappointment, worry, discontentment, etc. are not just feelings we experience after four wonderful years of college. These emotions seem to find a way to creep into our lives in both the good and bad times. 

But why?

If you’re like me, you may look to things and people to make you feel “happy” in life. Just to name a few: [Over] indulging in food, finding THE perfect outfit, trying to keep people from being disappointed in me, are just some of the things I work at in attempt to establish contentment…to make sure I don’t  “feel any holes in my heart.” I have recently realized that maintaining a comfortable life at school where my friends were right next-door and my only “responsibility” was schoolwork was another way I was trying to “stay happy.”

But guess what? Maintaining, or at least trying to maintain these things, never leave me feeling “whole.” The "hole" is still there. There’s always more left to be desired.  Over the past few weeks, the Lord has been gracious to remind me that there is a reason why even if  I had all of my favorite foods, bought five new outfits that I love, and everyone seemed to be pleased with me, there is and there would still be something missing.

The reason is because I am putting my hope in things that can change from day to day. They aren’t bad things. But they also aren’t permanent things. The material possessions and relationships in my life can and will waiver. Surely they can bring goodness to my life but they will never bring me joy because they weren't designed to make me whole. 

I need to be reminded every single day. Every single hour. Every single minute. Jesus and the love he showed me on the cross when he died for my sins is the only thing in my life that will never change. It is unconditional. It is permanent. It is selfless. It is indescribable. Yet I forget over and over again every day. I am foolish to think that if everything else is stable, I will be happy and I will feel secure.  I don’t and I won’t because everything minus Jesus equals nothing. Hebrews 13:8 says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” That means that the love he showed us “yesterday” on the cross is never going to change.

Whether you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior or you’ve known Him for a long time, I am sure you can relate. If you have any questions or need someone to talk to, I would love to talk to you. I had a conversation just today with a girl who agreed that far too often, we pretend like everything’s okay when there are often so many underlying things going on in our lives.  It’s Okay That It’s Not Okay…[Even though it can be okay if we will lean on our constant, Jesus.]

Check out these beautiful songs that sum up this precious and unwavering love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV3rYXc152E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlOJ5o8W4Lw