The End of an Era of Passions and Accidents.

Approximately one day ago I finished my first semester of the after-high school known as College. It seemed like just yesterday that I entered campus filled with passions and ideas; now I was ending an era filled with so much more passion and little idea of what to do with it. One may argue that this is not the end of an era, but simply the beginning of it and to them I would say that is partially right. Yes, this is the beginning of an amazing four years, but it is also the end of the beginning. It is the first semester that is filled with meeting new people and developing lasting friendships, it is in this first semester that habits, friendships, and jokes are formed. There may be many new memories approaching but the late nights spent commenting on TV shows and laughing at inside jokes of my first semester will last for decades. As famous "philosopher" Barney Stinson is known to say this semester is "Legen--wait for it---Dary!"  Now I sit, back in this place I once called home, and I contemplate everything that occurred during these fateful three months.

Passions. Since the moment I stepped into my first semester I have been filled with passions and the more I read the more I wanted to find ways to fulfill these passions. So often we find out what we are passionate about and we just want to do something. Whether it's social justice, theology, little kids, teenagers, drama, art, whatever it is there comes a time in our lives where we just want to find as many opportunities as we can to do what we are passionate about. When one gets to college these passions only strengthen and there are so many possibilities, but so little time. I have been continuously getting great ideas and desires but I do not have the resources or the time. I am learning that college is a time to discover passions and slowly find ways to work with them. Do not push your passions away, embrace them. Find ways to do what you are passionate about and God will use you. I firmly know and believe that God will use me, and others, and my passions to do His will. God gives us our passions and would not do that if they were for nothing. God wants to use your passions to affect and change this world that He will bring His kingdom to in the age to come. So don't hesitate, use those passions for God's glory.

Accidents. Accidents are what develop into the best friendships. This phrase may seem odd to some and in the past I would have discounted it right away, but think about all of your close friendships. When did you ever say "I am going to be this person's best friend." and it actually worked out like that? How often can one person meet someone and just decide to make sure they are best friends? Well I used to think you could do that, that you could in essence create your own friendships with anyone you like. Which you can, but you cannot do that with best friends. In fact the best friends are found through accidents. The people I have met and purposely tried to be "best friends" with were the ones that were not there for my struggles and in fact caused some of those struggles; it was the friends I accidentally met this semester that are developing into the best of friends. The guy I met at orientation who I thought was weird, the girl I met at a scavenger hunt who I thought was quiet and out of my league, the girl who seemed to copy my speeches in class, the guy I have known for years but didn't plan on rooming with until last minute, and so many 'accidental' meetings that have became lasting friends. It is these accidental meetings that have made close friendships not the forced ones.

I propose we embrace accidents, because so often we can cry about spilled milk, as the old phrase goes. Many people think that when an accident happens it's a bad thing but instead of looking a the glass "Half empty" or "half full" let's look at it as just "full" and when it spills we help clean it up and look for more milk for our glass. Why cry about the milk when there's so many good things that come from it? What if that milk in your cup was spoiled and you did not realize it? So by it being spilled you were able to get fresh milk. Let's look beyond milk though. If you're driving down the road and get lost or miss a turn, don't get upset. You should think "maybe an accident happened on the road we're supposed to be on...maybe this detour saved us." Life can always be better if we find the positives in the accidents and embrace them. Sometimes a baby is an accident, but if you look at those cute little babies and see the miracle of life in them, it's hard not to say "Oh, this is a miracle." these ideas that things are accidents can really be turned into miracles. If I was given a horrible accident I bet I could find at least one positive element to it and it is these positives that keep us together in the end.

 As I am at the end of this era and at the beginning of another I encourage everyone to embrace the accidents of life, find ways live out their passions, and continue on to the new era where bigger and better things are in store.