misslindsaybehnke@hotmail.com
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." -Matthew 17:20
We, college graduates, have finally left the world where our biggest concerns in life were having enough Top Ramen in the cupboard for the week, hoping our roommate would remember to replace the empty toilet paper roll, and contemplating if we had enough time to take a nap between classes. No, it’s a new type of lifestyle with new concerns; ones we never anticipated. The Red Bull energy drinks and espresso shots that were once consumed to keep us hyper and alert to study during all-nighters, are now replaced by not-fat sugar free vanilla lattes (hold the whip cream, please) that are sipped while in transit from bed to office. Some call this the transition into the real world. I like to call this the “twilight zone” into the life after graduation where uncertainty is the only thing certain, and life is all about change and transition.
We are the new generation of young, Christian professionals, with lots of information crammed into our heads and a fervent passion for life and God. Most of us have hung the diploma on the wall, said good-bye to close friends, and started the pursuit of our goals and dreams. We are desperately hoping that something or someone has prepared us for this post-college world that we are warned to avoid entering, while leaving our youth behind us, and getting our first whiff of nostalgia about the “good ole’ days.” Now begins the search to find that perfect job that aligns us with the purpose that God has created us for, hoping that the purpose involves health benefits and a 401 K. We know that God has led us into this new phase of life, and are clinging to our mustard seed of faith that He knows what mountain to lead us to move.
It is inevitable that we will be faced with questions that may or may not be answered during this time. Where am I headed? Can I really make a difference? What does my future hold? Who will support me? How will I get plugged in? These questions are God-given and God-inspired to increase our faith and dependency in Him during a time when the rest of the world screams, “You can do it on your own! It’s all about you!” It is not about us. The more our world changes, the more we have to give control to Him.
As contradictorily frightening and exciting as this transition is, it is change that draws us closer to God. With change comes the uncertainty of our wide-open futures that should cause us to have faith, require us to put our fresh knowledge that God has given us to the test, and motivate us to seek after God’s own heart in a whole new way. Even though our surroundings, our sleep patterns, and our wardrobes have changed, our passion and desire for God should not. It is a time of faith whether we are jobless, single, lonely, uncertain, or overwhelmed. We are young, we are energized, and we are ready to begin the adventure that God leads us on. We have faith because nothing is impossible with God, even if it is as small as a mustard seed. It is time to make mustard.
Copyright Lindsay Behnke
