Dear Kid,

Season’s greetings! Snow’s on the ground, Christmas is in the air, and you’re in the midst of an avalanche of decisions to be made. These are huge decisions, potentially life-changing decisions.

It seems like every day, even multiple times some days, you’re confronted with this daunting question: so what do you want to do? Phrased simply enough, but it boils down to so many bigger questions- what school you will attend, what major you will pursue, and last but most scary, how the heck are you going to pay for it all? We laugh about these things and then we cry about them, because, seriously, everything is expensive and scary and hard these days.

Adults will tell us everything will be okay in the long run. “You’ll be fine,” they say, even with a not-so-well-hidden eye roll as they go about their daily, well-established routine. Okay, you think to yourself, I know it will be fine. But that doesn’t make these decisions any easier.

I know because I’m in your shoes. I am in a bit of a unique position, being a technical senior in high school, but also a Freshman at Bethel, makes me feel like sort of an undercover spy sometimes. It’s like I’m an investigative reporter for all those who are still in high school. I’m here to tell you: it’s not as scary as it seems! Not even half as scary!

If I’m being honest, Bethel was never on my list of colleges that I wanted to go to. I was skeptical even at the beginning of how much I would like my classes. But God works in mysterious, awesome ways, and here I am at the end of my first semester of college (!!!) in awe of how He has worked in a place I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be.

Can I suggest something revolutionary? Maybe it’s not about where you go. Maybe the perfect college doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s all about what you do, wherever you end up.

I know that can be hard to hear, because, we’ve been shown a picture-perfect brochure version of the college experience- one in which you feel at home instantly, make tons of friends and great connections for your career, and become magically transformed into this academic elite.

Some people have that experience. Most of us don’t.

Truth is, you can bloom anywhere you’re planted, as long as you’re committed to making it happen. If you want to go out of state for that, fine! Liberal arts? Woohoo! Ivy league? Go for it! And, hey, if you don’t want to go to college, but would rather go into missions or the military or a trade, that’s fine, too!

Life is way, way too short to worry about monumental decisions. Go with your gut. Pray about it tons. Then just go. Live out the adventure your heart longs for. You might think that adventure is far away or out-of-reach, but adventure is everywhere the moment you start to look for it.

You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

Sincerely,

Fellow Kid-Turned-Adult