In the past month, I have stepped into a life and rhythm quite distinct from what I have ever before encountered.
Case in point: I am writing this post on a metra train northbound from Chicago, rolling in at 1:30am. It's almost bed time, a full 12 hours since I left my cozy suburban apartment for a day's work in the city. Welcome to my new normal.
I have undergone more major life transitions this semester ever before: Seven years of post-high-school education accomplished. Goodbye 18-month internship, coworkers and counseling clients. So long classmates, study sessions, textbooks and large chunks of free time in the middle of my day. No more need to cram endless productivity into finite hours. Goodbye nannying/house-cleaning/dog-sitting patchwork income; hello full-time work of the clock in/clock out variety. Step back from volunteer youth ministry; refocus on intentional relationships discipleship. No more dorm rooms, on-campus housing and community kitchen; now it's time for paying rent, permanent address and taxes. This all occurring within the span of just a few months.
This young professional twenty-something finds herself stepping out into a life she's never known, like a land-lubber trying on her sea legs. Part of me grieves the change; part of me is quietly excited. In my personal musings, the realization hit: In this new rhythm of life, I have the privilege in meeting God in a brand new way. I get to encounter new people made in God's image, uniquely refracting His self-expression. I have the joy of learning to depend on Him daily. I am learning to experience rest and take a fresh look at what it means to steward my time.
Change is painful, but it is also a privilege. I've experience a lot in my young life, but so far I have only ever been a full-time student. Now I feel as if these past two decades were mere prologue, and the real adventure is just now beginning.
