over already!?

Wow, this academic year went by so fast, much faster than last year! Although I am glad to say farewell to all of the academic work, papers and assignments, I am going to miss this place so much for the next four months.

I have made many new friendships and strengthened many others. There are few things that I enjoy more than student life. Sure, it's not perfect and we all have our rifts and personality clashes, but I really enjoy living with these girls. They are friends that have become family. I never liked being spontaneous until I came to Redeemer, well, until this year actually, but now it's like spontaneity rules my life. Planning is good and all, but surprises and stuff is wonderful too.

There are a lot of things that I learned this year and I learned a lot about myself. I learned that it's okay to not always be right; to not have to listen and understand absolutely everything presented to me in class. I think that the most valuable thing that my philosophy professor told us was that it is okay to be confused and to recognize that you do not know everything. How else can you be humbled? How can you be open to new opportunities or learning experiences when you believe that you know everything already?

Along the same lines, I have been humbled this year. I have learned that I am not as perfect or wonderful as I thought that I was, and that is okay. Everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses. I am not perfect at anything and everything and never will be and I can now accept that (which can be pretty tricky for a perfectionist to do). I'm learning to take a breather every now and then and to sometimes just let things work themselves out.

I also learned more about myself this year, and I think that I have changed a bit as well. I have always been the quiet, shy and introverted one, and that is still a very big part of who I am, but I am now able to get out of my comfort zone and be spontaneous more often, and I am loving it. I have met so many new and wonderful people this year that, had I stayed cooped up, I would have never met otherwise.

Another thing that I was reminded of this year is the importance of asking for and following God's will. He knows what is best in my life and cares for the things and people in my life even more than I do. I need to trust that His time is best, no matter how much I may believe otherwise. I need to continue to listen to that little voice in the back of my mind; the little voice (that some people call a conscience, but I believe that it is Him)that is always right. Through listening to that, I can save myself so much time and energy.

And now with the academic year drawing to a close, I just want to thank you all for being a part of this year and my learning experiences. Thank you for being such great friends, family and for teaching me valuable lessons that could never be taught in any classroom. These are life lessons and they will never end. Sure, education may be coming to a close for the summer, but as you all know, the learning is never complete. I am a part-way through book with a story that God continues to write.

And I wonder what He has written in the next chapter.