We all know the saying, “As one door closes, another one opens.” Yeah, I know, it’s a bit cliché, but boy is this phrase most certainly a fact.
So, you have likely also heard, “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” I’ve been feeling this version on a deeper level lately, as my life has changed significantly since the start of the summer.
If any of you read my last column, I talked about my recent graduation from Georgia College in Milledgeville. It’s now been two months since that big day, and I have no idea where all the time has gone.
For a while, I thought that the graduation ceremony itself was God closing the door of my life as a student, with the “new door” being this job that I started shortly after. But with a recent milestone I accomplished, I’m starting to think that starting the job was a “window” to begin moving forward.
On Sunday, I returned home from church with the spontaneous decision to head to Milledgeville and relocate the last of my belongings from my college apartment. It was pretty surreal as I experienced a mix of joy, laughter, and heartbreak within those walls.
It was an honor to call this place my home for the past two years, and a few months back, I dreaded the moment I’d have to turn in my keys for good. This unit was where I learned to be independent and discovered the joy of having my own space.
This move was a long time coming, especially since it was the last month of my lease, but moving out felt much different than I expected. Over the past few weeks, I have felt a weight on my shoulders, holding me back from making progress at an ideal pace.
It recently occurred to me that this moving situation was it. I felt overwhelmed by the responsibility of maintaining a living space that was no longer home, and I needed to get out.
When summer began, I quickly lost the joy of having this space because there was no reason to stay. I primarily lived here for the convenience of being close to the campus, and that necessity, too, was no longer relevant.
I was stunned to find myself eager to leave this apartment, as I had grown to love it so much. There were many days when I dreaded the idea of going into the “real world” and leaving school.
However, for several months, I had come to realize that I had outgrown college and the life I had known over the last four years. This apartment was the last thing tying me down to my old life in Milledgeville, and now that I’ve left, there are no more strings attached.
As I mentioned earlier, I started this job thinking I was finally free from the constraints of being a student, only to realize that I was still feeling a weight on my shoulders. But now I can embrace this life as a new professional with everything I have, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever have a reason to return to my college town.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned while growing up, it’s that we aren’t meant to cling to the past. Yes, these years may have been some of our best ones, but lamenting will only add more weight and distract us from the things we are called to conquer in the present.
This lesson is one of those things that we have to learn the hard way, and it is very challenging. However, despite this, I feel immense gratitude because I’m now on a good path to accomplishing many positive things.
By closing that door and entering the window of a new job, I believe God opened a new door to so many incredible opportunities I have yet to see. There’s an unwavering feeling in my heart that I am about to begin some of my life’s most extraordinary adventures.
I will always cherish the memories I made in that old apartment, from baking countless loaves of homemade bread to watching UGA football in the living room with my best friends. But if I had the chance, I wouldn’t go back because I know the best is yet to come.
I’m excited for wherever this road leads, and I genuinely feel as if I’m living the life I’ve spent so many years praying for. For the first time in a while, I feel free.