College Courage

written by Sarah Jenkins

When I was in sixth grade, I was introduced to one of my favorite movies to date, Letters to Juliet. A friend of mine put it on and I was immediately captivated. It featured a romantic storyline that entranced me - my sixth grade self-wanted to believe that someday I could find love like Claire found in Lorenzo (spoiler alert) after all those years.

My favorite line in the movie, though, came in the middle - in the process of Claire finding Lorenzo. It came in the uncertain state of whether she would ever find him or if their search would cease to no avail. She said, “Life is the messy bits.”

I remember hearing this and thinking how unbelievably negative it sounded. My 12-year-old self thought that messy meant bad and that Claire was saying her life was bad, but my 21-year-old self would very much like to differ.

Life is absolutely the messy bits. It’s the in-between - the not knowing what is coming next but always eagerly anticipating the next chapter. It is the pain of a heartbreak and the sight of a sunset; the coffee you spill on your shirt in the morning and the 3 AM dance parties in your bedroom.

Life is rarely a pretty pink package tied with a bow, but more like a brown FedEx box that arrived JUST in time. But, I’d argue, that’s the fun of it.

I’ve heard many a pastor boast, “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow!” - it’s a common sentiment we all desire to share.

Life is the joy of not knowing what is going to come at you next, and the courage to face a day in which you cannot predict the outcome. Our strength to endure each coming day comes from the One who created it in the first place.

This month, remind yourself of the joy that comes in the unknown and the security that God knows exactly how to sort it all out. Life may be the messy bits, but He knows where they all fit. Embrace them!