A Good Companion

I'm currently sitting in a room full of incoming freshman at school. No I did not draw the short straw... yes I am earning a few extra dollars. To explain myself I should tell you that I am proctoring a pre-test that all freshman take before they really get into their degree program. They are really very cute. Almost everyone got to the classroom 20 minutes early, looking frazzled and a little concerned. They are unsure of themselves, not just their actions but who they are and why they are here. This takes me back to when I was there.

No, not the nostalgic fond memories... I'm thinking more like: I cant believe how much has changed. When you study history, you are lucky to have the vantage point of time. From a distance you can decide influencing factors and results. Possibly you can piece together an accurate version of what happened. This is what I am experiencing right now. I am seeing the factors in my choices to come to school and to pick the friends I had, then also why I walked away from certain friends. I can see the road that I traveled to where I am now as if I have reached a peak and can turn around and trace the path through the trees. From below, when you are in the valley it is more difficult to see the next turn because of the underbrush. It feels good seeing how far I have come.

It also gives me hope for how far I have yet to go. Soon I will descend into the next valley, like Christ. But I know that I will be raised again. A friend and I were talking about this the other day as well. She was encouraging me that each choice sets up lots of possibilities. And that no matter where we are, we usually have to start over with relationships, projects, new neighborhoods, children, every time something ends. That change is always going to happen. The risk sometimes is difficult and we can be obstinate and sit down on the trail we are climbing, refusing to move on. Or we can accept that there is another switchback or two before we get to the top again.

It was said to me yesterday, "If we are following Christ today, then where we are 5 years from now is none of our business." And I don't think this means "don't plan", I think we are to interpret it to mean that our journey is much more important now. If you are so worried about the trail a mile ahead, you might miss the root that will entrap your boots a foot away. So take heart, know that you have a good traveling companion, and that many more are traveling the same path. Don't despair where you are now for soon you will reach the zenith and will be able to turn and say, "Look how far I've come."