Time to Celebrate

I’ve had exciting news to share with people all day. I called my mom and she said, “We ought to celebrate!” I told my classmates and their response was pretty much the same—we need to celebrate! No, I’m not getting married. I don’t even have a Valentine this year (I don’t care what they say—Derrida does NOT count as a hot date).

The thing that I was so thrilled to tell everyone was that…drum roll please…last night I actually cooked dumplings and did my own laundry. And I did it all without mortally wounding myself, burning the kitchen down, shrinking my clothes, or turning my whites a lovely shade of pink.

Such mundane things to cheer about, you may think, but for me, this is progress. Sadly, as skilled as I may be in a number of different academic areas, being able to write a good essay or understand concepts in marketing does not prepare you for life’s domestic responsibilities.

Perhaps I have been spoiled too long, opting to bury myself in academic studies in lieu of learning things like cooking, laundry, or grocery shopping. I’m thankful that I live with girls who have had a lot of experience living on their own and who are willing to be very patient with me; they rejoice even in my small triumphs.

Mom always says that when you’re thrown into a situation where you have to do something—you’ll learn really fast. Sometimes I think I put these little things off because I’m scared of making mistakes, scared of proving to everyone how incompetent I really am. I stick to the things that I already know I excel at.

But a lot of this semester is about facing my fears and taking courage in who God is. Whether it be adjusting to apartment life, dealing with clients and talking to strangers, or applying to study abroad in a foreign country (well, they still speak English in London, so it isn’t THAT foreign), the small fears that I face now will help me to trust God to get me through the bigger obstacles that I may encounter later in life.

Dr. Longinow described these little challenges as our “bear” and our “lion,” like those that David faced before he took on Goliath. I can definitely relate to the analogy, because there are a lot of other bigger fears that I anticipate running up against, things that will stretch my faith and my character—things like searching for internships, putting myself out there as a freelance writer, the possibility of traveling to pursue a job or more education, someday marrying (hopefully) and starting my own family.

The possibilities are endless. There are so many uncertainties that are bound to come up in my life that I must face head-on. I feel that if I can learn to trust God in these smaller things—these things that I fear— while I’m in college, perhaps I will have the courage to let Him take me to great places to do great things. The “little-ness” of my faith is the only thing that hinders God from showing His “big-ness” in my life.