Friday of the Third Week of Lent - March 12, 2021

Hosea 14:2-10 Mark 12:28-34

As a senior in high school, I am currently navigating the exciting but stressful process of college admissions. I write this letter in a time of complete uncertainty about where I’ll end up next fall, even though at this time last year I had envisioned myself having already been accepted to and enrolled at my top choice. I realized after being deferred from my top college that there is so much more to who I am than what I am as a student. College had become an idol for me, and I placed so much of my self-worth upon the results of my applications. In scripture, I am reminded of the triviality of my academic accomplishments, the “works of my hands.”

“We shall say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.
|I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely.”

God’s love is free; unlike the college admissions process that made me feel like I had to earn my value through my resumé and life’s works. There’s no selective process about who is worthy of God. God is available to all of us, not because of our virtue or our goodness, but because of our humanity and the divine grace He so generously gives to us through Christ.

Though initially disappointing, my college process has given me an ironic sense of gratitude because it has shifted my focus away from my idols. I’ve looked closer into my relationship with God and the ultimate impact that my life will have on others and the world. Though our worldly accomplishments can take us to great heights during this lifetime, the ultimate achievement of our lives is unity with God.

Q: What am I doing to work toward my eternal goal?

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