Today it hit me: I am 7 months shy of holding my master’s degree. My first thought was “Wow, I can’t believe it’s so close.” Secondly, I’m sitting here asking myself “How did I get here?”
7 months shy of holding my master’s degree: How did I get here?
1. Purpose. I remember when I used to go to college intermittently because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Education has always been important to me, but I haven’t always been clear on my purpose. I thank God for saving my soul and growing me up in Him. One of the greatest gifts that He has given me is the awareness of my purpose. Knowing your purpose gives you an unexplainable focus.
2. Focus. It’s hard to move forward without focus. We are all faced with distractions, but I feel that in order to progress you have to learn how to focus your energies. I’m a firm believer in staying focused on what’s important. I understand that I can’t be everywhere, do everything, and please everyone. We must grow to a place of knowing what our priorities are and stay focused on them. It’s important to be able to keep your focus where it needs to be while ignoring everything else.
3. Strength. In order to move forward you must be strong. Nothing worth having comes easy, so we must know that we’ll have to overcome some things in order to achieve anything worthwhile. You won’t always feel strong, but you must know that if God brought you to it then He can get you through it.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
– Philippians 4:13
4. Growth. I think it’s a waste of time and money to grow in knowledge without growing in character. College should be taken seriously. We should grow in our decision-making abilities, our research abilities, and our communication skills. It is essential to grow overall as a person as you journey through your college career.
5. Support. There is only so much we can do by ourselves so I thank God for always placing people in my life right when I needed them. God will truly provide all of our needs as we seek Him above all (Matthew 6:33). I got married around the time I was finishing up with my bachelor’s degree, and at the time of graduation I had no intention of going to graduate school. Sometimes we overlook the importance of a solid support system. I’m grateful for the encouragement and support that I receive from my husband.
Overall, I think we’d all be amazed at the amount of progress we can make if we keep God first and stay focused. I don’t take it for granted that I’m 7 months shy of holding my master’s degree. Trust me, the journey has been far from easy.
Read Professor Woodward:
