A Goal Accomplished - A Goal to Reach
by Olivia Jalowiec
It's hard to believe that the year 2009 is coming to an end. It is a year I have looked forward to ever since I knew what the word "graduation" meant! Soon this year will be only fond memories filled with dreams fulfilled and goals accomplished, and I am looking forward to 2010 with great expectations!
Many people look forward to the new year to make New Year's resolutions. Some reflect on the blessings throughout the previous year, and others are glad the old year is closing so they can look forward to new things in the upcoming year. No matter where you are, what your background is, or how you were raised, the fact is that everyone starts a new beginning sometime throughout their life. Each new step in life has its own challenges, struggles, joys and accomplishments. Once you complete a new phase in your life you can look back and reflect on the advantages that you were given, and realize all you have gained through the experience.
For me, my life has been blessed abundantly with things to be thankful for. I grew up being home schooled and was surrounded by my loving parents who poured out the love of Christ into my life and showed me how I should live according to the Bible. Their godly life style made me want to emulate that in my life, and through that I have learned to love the Lord as they have taught me. This one single blessing in my life has been the foundation on which I have built my life, and is a perfect platform to begin my most recent "new step" in my life- my first year of college! I am currently attending Word of Life Bible Institute, and I am absolutely loving it there. However, this new beginning didn't come about with a clear sign, but with a lot of prayer, reservation and unknown.
I know that every new thing always comes with its challenges and obstacles. Having been home schooled, the rigidity of 8 a.m. classes, no flexibility of due dates, and not having constant one-on-one time with the teacher were some things that I was definitely not used to; although, being away at college does have its advantages! It has offered independence, and freedom that I didn't necessarily have at home. Also, finding out who I really am, what I truly believe and what I stand for, are some things that I was able to discover, and thankfully so.
We all know that life is full of choices, and with every choice there are going to be some aspects that you didn't anticipate. Still, we have to choose what is going to be best suited for our own life. Attending the BI this year I am going to obviously miss some things I would not have, had I been attending a school at home. One of the things that I will be missing is my family on deputation. I would love to be able to enjoy that with them, but a blessing that I get from being away from them during this time, is I am now "on the outside looking in". It is such a blessing to be able to watch my family go through circumstances and bring glory to God's name in the midst of difficult times. That is just another thing that my parents are constantly teaching me, joy in trials, because He is Worthy. Once I complete my year at the Bible Institute, I will again be looking forward to graduation. It will mark the end of something new, and also another beginning that I will take on. Although what my next step will be is still unclear, I know that this year will be a great asset for me in ministry, my personal discipline, and every day life. This new beginning marks a goal accomplished from last year, a new goal to reach for this year, and it is a new beginning for the Lord to accomplish something in my life.
With every beginning there is an end, and with the end... it brings a new beginning. How will you use your beginning this new year?
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