Thank God Ahead of Time
BIBLICAL POINT OF REFERENCE:
"You are being enriched in every way for all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God, for the administration of this public service is not only supplying the needs of the holy ones but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God. Through the evidence of this service, you are glorifying God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution to them and to all others, while in prayer on your behalf they long for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" ~2 Corinthians 9:11-15
My drive to and from college takes about 2 hours one way. Usually, I have a sister or my boyfriend or another friend with me, so I have someone to talk to and help make the time pass quickly. However, on the occasions where I find myself alone for this drive, I have to use other methods of entertainment.
As an extravert, you may think that being by myself is agony, but it can actually be quite relaxing and extremely freeing. I recognize this the most about halfway through my drive, where there is a large bridge that overlooks a big river. In the moments that I drive over that bridge, I get super excited and can’t help but smile, because I am so high off the ground and I am going so fast (not speeding that much, I promise) that I feel like I’m flying. Especially if I’m by myself, I may even give a little “whooohooo” as I soar across the bridge.
Graduation is coming, and that feeling of freedom is going to shift dramatically when I move back into my parents' house after college. It might not go away completely, but it’ll definitely be different, and that’s a bit disappointing. That bridge is going to disappear, and with it my college years and the individualistic lifestyle I have currently.
This got me thinking: Have I thanked God for giving me my college years? Have I lived my college years as he wanted me to, spreading his Word as I fulfill my vocation as a student? Have I discerned what my next vocation will be?
When we’re getting ready to make a shift in life, a time where we’re about to start the next chapter, it can be easy to feel as though the life we’re leaving isn’t adequate enough, or that we haven’t done enough to make it the best life it can be. And if we don’t feel we’ve completed this part of the journey well, why should we want to go on to the next part?
My dear sisters in Christ, when another destination comes into view, we do not sit there and wait for it to come to us because we are not ready to go to it. No, we take what we have, and we go to that destination because it is a step forward from where we have been. And along the way, we experience more life that leads to that destination.
The destination isn’t the end—it’s simply another beginning. In the beginning, there is only God and us, and the trust we place in God in the beginning is crucial to moving to the next destination. So when another destination comes around, we need to trust the Lord more than we did before. And if trusting in God looks a lot to you like losing freedom, you aren’t doing it right.
So relinquish the control. Give thanks for the journey you’ve had at the destination you’re leaving, and trust God to give you another great journey at the one you’re going to. As Blessed Father Solanus Casey said, “Thank God ahead of time.”
Happy Thanksgiving sisters!
Your Laughing Sisters,
Callahan
