Most people say that they like adventures. Most of us don’t wake up in the morning and hope that it’s going to be just like the day before. But here’s the thing. Ruts are easy. Adventures can be fun, but they tend to come in ways we never expect, and change has a way of stretching us in ways we don’t necessarily want.
Right now, my life is more of adventure than I ever expected it to be. Coming back to UMD for grad school, I was making the sensible choice. It was the right choice for my career, and it was practical. I had everything figured out…. At least for the first year. After that, all my carefully laid plans came to a screeching halt. I knew that going in, but I chose to ignore it. I was happily stuck in a rut. I didn’t try anything new or go anywhere new. I challenged myself in school and in clinic. But my personal life? I played it safe. I had the same friends. I did the same things. I wasn’t looking to branch out.
But sometimes life is an adventure in ways we never expect. Last May closed an important chapter in my life. The people I’d spent all my time with graduated and moved on to their own new adventures. Suddenly, the rut I didn’t even know I was in was gone. I didn’t have a script for this new chapter… I also didn’t have any idea just how much fun this chapter would be! My safety blanket being stripped away made me take chances and try things I never would’ve otherwise. From starting my own research project, to going a completely new passion in my career, to taking up a new hobby (yay ballroom dancing?!), my life has gone in directions I never expected. I’m part of a whole new world and a whole new community here in College Park that I never knew existed before. This school year has been one giant adventure, and I couldn’t be more thankful. (I guess God really does know what He’s doing.)
The thing is… I almost missed out on all of it. I almost lived looking backwards and trying to cling to my old rut instead of moving on. Life has seasons, and each of those seasons is a gift, even if they don’t always feel like it. So be bold my friends. Don’t be afraid to let chapters close. God’s got it all under control, and as great as the last chapter of your life may have been, the next one may be better than you could ever imagine.
...I have no idea 