If there’s one thing many recently graduated seniors are certain about, it’s that there are many uncertainties in their lives. In the workshop for recently graduated seniors, Bob Rice, our host for Week 1, put to rest some of the fears that often accompany uncertainty.

As Catholic Christians, we have the assurance that our existence is not a mistake. We are not a cosmic occurrence, a roll of the dice, happenstance of two chromosomes crossing. As this is true, we can rest assured that God, who planned our existence, did not forget to plan our lives past the age of 18.

Bob shared the words spoke to the prophet in Jeremiah 29:11:

“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans to give you a future and a hope, for prosperity and not for woe.”

And his plans are so good. The Lord’s providence means that He is always looking out for us—and not from a distance, either, but walking closely with us in our day-to-day lives. Even when it doesn’t seem that way, when we don’t get an immediate answer, or feel like the Lord may not hear us, He is there.

God’s name as revealed to Moses in Exodus is “I Am.” Present tense. Not in the past or in the future, but God is acting in our lives right now. Rather than having us arrive speedily at a future destination, God is more interested in us trusting Him right now. God’s will for us is not a mystery. If you feel that he hasn’t told you where you’re going, maybe it’s because He wants to walk there with you.

Before ending his talk with questions from the audience, Bob shared four areas that young adults tend to struggle with trusting the Lord:

Purity

Chastity is rooted in hope. When we practice chastity, we are actively trusting that God’s plan is better and more lasting than the immediate gratification of alternatives.

Money

Christ challenges us in Scripture to give up all that we have: the cost to follow Jesus is everything. While this may seem daunting, everyone can afford to give everything they have to Jesus. Do you trust that what the Lord is offering to give is enough?

Sobriety

Drunkenness is never acceptable—even if it’s legal. When we compromise our sobriety, we are not trusting the virtues God gave us, such as temperance and prudence.

Sanity

Many statistics point to this generation of young people being more stressed than the same age group at any other point in history. Part of this may be due to an increasing belief system of trusting ourselves over God.

Quotables:

“Trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding—He will make all your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5

“God is rarely early, but never late.”

And here’s a link to my favorite song, featuring Proverbs 3:5!