19 days. I cant believe Im about to graduate. It has been such a long road for me. I cant even begin to describe how it feels. Im filled with emotion just thinking about all the people Ive met, things Ive done, and lessons Ive learned. I wish I could somehow say thank you to all the people who have encouraged me on my way, or who have given me direction when I didnt know what to do, or who have been an example for me to strive to do better. Thank you all so much. As I graduate in less than 3 weeks, Im forced to ponder what Im leaving behind in my wake. What have I done to make a difference? What influence have I had on the people I spent my time around? What kind of example am I leaving? The answers to these questions are not necessarily important, but the questions are necessary to be asked of myself. Most importantly, was I being a worthy reflection of Jesus Christ in my time at DBU? Was I both walking in His footsteps and leading others to follow? Or was I wandering behind, just trying to keep up? What have I learned? And what have I taught others? And all the memories. Wow. Good and bad. Fun and sad. In the last 4 1/2 years I have been through so much. Mostly good times, but a lot of hard times too. A lot of fun times were had by me and my buddies from DBU. Lets just say we know how to make anything fun. And my awesome classmates who have been there to help make it through the most boring lectures and the funniest chapels. And my professors who Im so thankful for, I have you to thank for never failing a class at DBU. Finally, the guys I work with and spent most of my time around at DBU. Yall were one of the best parts of DBU for me. Through thick and thin we stuck together. From the guys I started out working with, to the ones Im leaving behind, you all made me a better person, and Im thankful for you. Its been quite a ride. Meeting my wife at DBU was the absolute best thing for me. If you dont know our story, we met at the DBU turkey trot on my birthday in 2010 and started dating a year later when we had a class together. We got engaged a little more than a year later and got married in the summer of 2013. The things I have learned about myself, women, my relationship with God, and the parallels between all of those things are off the charts when compared to what I learned in the actual classroom. God has taught me so much about His love and how I am supposed to love. Im so blessed to be married to such a wonderful girl. As I finish my last few weeks at DBU, Im reminded of Paul writing to Timothy, he said, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (1 Timothy 4:7) Fighting the good fight and finishing the race are great accomplishments, but I believe the greatest accomplishment is keeping the faith. And after being tried and torn and ripped to shreds at times, I can say with confidence that I am finishing this race stronger than when I started. I have kept the faith and I know better now than ever before who holds everything together, who makes everything work, who holds me up when I cant stand any more, and who I can hold on to no matter what comes my way. And that is Jesus Christ. He is the reason I am where I am today. He is the reason for everything good in my life. And He is the reason I have a hope and a purpose in life. These are the thoughts of a graduating senior who has no words to say, just a flood of emotions that cant be contained any longer. Thank you to all who read this. All of my friends have somehow shaped my life and for that I am grateful. And thank you Lord for what youve done in my life.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 03:53:02 +0000