Letter 2: What matters?

Dear Me,

Today, I read your journal; it is the one that you are writing right now.  As I flipped, page-by-page, I felt every emotion that you are experiencing, once again.  I remembered many of the events, questions, concerns, and prayers that made their way onto those pages, but, honestly, there are many that I do not recall.  You may want to know which memories made the cut.  Which situations mattered?

You should be comforted in learning that the test you are so worried about will not even be a memory in three years. 

You will remember the sleepless nights of studying and the crabbiness of the next day, but you will not remember the subject matter or even the final grade.

You will remember the wisdom you gained on the phone with your parents, but you won’t remember what TV shows you wished you were watching instead.

You will remember your roommate’s face when you said that you could not go and eat with her, but you will not remember the size of the pants you were trying to fit into.

You will still remember ignoring that inkling to befriend that girl in class (who you swore you’d “get to eventually”), but you won’t remember what it is you had to hurry off to, so quickly…every single day.

You will still remember the way you complained to that professor, but you won’t remember what she did to make you so upset. 

You will still remember the smile on that girl’s face in the dining center when you asked if you could sit with her, but you won’t remember the nervousness you felt beforehand, when you were afraid she would say no.

You will remember apologizing as you left your friend crying in her bed, but you won’t remember which class it was that you needed to get to.

You will remember what you learned and the adventures you had on those weekend retreats, but you won’t remember which test you should have been studying for. 

You will remember those quiet moments you spent reading your bible and listening to God, but you won’t remember which exciting dorm adventure you missed because of it.

Are you surprised?

You are at such a tricky spot, and you will be for the next 5 (yes...5) years.  You have so many commitments and you are spread so thin.  You have a million opportunities to grow yourself as a person and focus on your success and dreams. 

What are those dreams? 

You want to be an occupational therapist.

You want to succeed so that you can get into grad school. 

You want to travel.

You want to do all of this, someday, so that God can use you.  Someday.

Do you remember how you said you wanted to make a footprint?  Do you remember how you said, as a high school student, that you couldn’t wait to go to college and do great things for the kingdom of God? 

Do not forget that, although it is easy to believe that your life will begin as you walk across the stage at graduation, you were given a purpose for this time.  Do not forget that even as you are studying away and trying to pursue that career of your dreams, you once dreamed of being in this very place. 

Live your college life with an eternal perspective.  Realize how important it is to live for Christ at this VERY moment. 

Succeed in school!  Yes!  Work as if working for the Lord Himself!  You need to work hard to get into the program you dream of.  God will use your degree; get it!

 But do not forget to take a break and remember that your mortal, earthly life is happening now and you have opportunities to live, like Jesus did, all around you.  Right now. 

Remember what matters.

Love,

You