Howdy everyone! This blog is a special tribute to my fellow college classmates of 2020. We were just handed a fancy degree to roam the streets of the world looking for someone... anyone, to hire us using these fresh new skills we just inquired. Oh, and add a pandemic with a poor economy to that mix. There's definitely sympathy for the class of 2020, but sometimes sympathy doesn't deliver a job.
After talking to a dear friend, and then later my mom, I realized '20 somes' (myself included) put a lot of pressure on ourselves to just jump in as established contributing members of society. Um hello, anyone ever realize that's gotta be one of the most impractical expectations we could put on ourselves? Being established takes time. Even the lucky ones who are handed a job right out of college, aren't CEO's. Everyone has to pay their time and start at the bottom somewhere.
And now, being released into a world with one of the hardest job markets in over 10 years, we need to give ourselves the grace that Jesus gives us everyday. Let go of the 'perfect' job, living situation, car, and life maybe. I know I can get very hard headed and stuck in my ways. I research and do everything I can to determine what I believe in my head to be 'the perfect (fill in the blank... job, housing, car, spouse, life.' But friends, this is dangerous. We aren't perfect, therefore we don't know what perfect is. And when we get attached to something and it doesn't happen, we can get discouraged and forget that while we didn't get what we wanted, it's because God actually has something better for us in the long run.
Like many of my fellow class of 2020 graduates, I'm definitely experiencing all of that right now. The job I thought was perfect, fell through. The place I wanted to live, fell through. The car I wanted to buy so badly, I'm realizing I need to take what I can afford right now. Sometimes I release a deep breathe and look into the sky and whisper "God, what are You doing?"
This could be an abstract thought, so try and track with me here. I think the theme here is (well it's always trust) but also, grace. My parents and I have known for a long time that I was never going to have a, what society considers, an impressive job. You know, the ones with the fancy titles that pay well and make all your family and friends say "oh wowww." And honestly it took me a long time to accept that about myself. To accept that just wasn't who I was, and that it's okay! There are so many jobs out there, and you don't need to have an impressive sounding job in order to be successful.
God made me the way that He did, and He made you the way you are! And it's perfect. We need to have confidence in ourselves that it doesn't matter what other people think is impressive. God has given everyone special gifts and talents that make them perfect. So don't feel bad if your first job is working in a grocery store, a warehouse, or a coffee shop! We're doing the best we can, and our best is always good enough.
This also goes for goals and dreams. We're told at a young age to dream big! And I think that's great advice for a kid. Kids need to have confidence early on that whatever they want to do when they're older, they have people who support them. However, dreams and goals also have a connotation to society. For some reason, only those who have dreams and goals that are tied to making a lot of money or a lot of change, are those dreams that are impressive and respected. If your dream is to be a stay-at-home mom, then that's great! If you're dream is to be a CEO of your own company one day, then that's great! But don't let others feel inferior if their dreams aren't the ones that impress other people.
Some people's dreams match their personality and are more practical, while others have dreams that relate to their personality of 'the sky's the limit!' Neither is better or worse than the other. God gives different people, different desires in their hearts- just like He gives different people, different skills and talents.
My dream, probably won't impress my parent's friends, but it's just for God to use every cell in my body and detail in my life to please and glorify Him.
I hope to write a book one day, I pray I will have the chance to be a wife and mom for my own family, and I could see myself working in a communications department for a smaller company or organization. But if there's anything I've learned in 2020 so far, it's to not get attached to certain ideas. I may hope and pray for the things I just mentioned, but I also know that God has a perfect plan for my life. If we get attached to a dream that doesn't happen, we can fall dangerously into the trap of thinking we know better than God. Friends, we don't.
So after that abstract piece, I leave you with this. Your dreams are perfect and wonderful just the way they are. The job you are working is fantastic. Trust that God has a plan with things lined up in your life- and it's perfect. There's blessing in waiting and being patient. Don't be lazy, but don't get attached to something that maybe never was meant to be yours. And don't think for one second that anything you have obtained, you obtained on your own. Everything is a gift from above.
God's got you. Embrace your dreams, goals and job as what makes you, you. God's believed child.
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