With the close of the fall semester, my senior career internship students reflected upon their experiences as they presented their final exam. The journey with their mentors over these past 18 weeks was filled with anxiety, anticipation, learning, experiences, discernment, fulfillment, relationship building, and more. Our conversations during their exam led to thoughts of moving on from CLHS to the next chapter of life. Transitions.
I read a piece the other week that I found particularly special and meaningful from Margaret Silf, The Other Side of Chaos. It follows.
“Transition is the bridge that leads from the no longer to the not yet. Nobody can predict what that bridge is going to look like. It may be obvious and sturdy, and we may find it easily through the fogs of our bewilderment. Or it may be rickety and clearly unsafe, and we hardly dare entrust our weight to it. … The point is, however, that we have to cross the bridge, and as we risk that crossing, we will discover that the bridge itself is our guide and mentor, and it has everything to teach us about the path that lies ahead, beyond the transition. In fact, we will learn much more on that bridge, about ourselves, about life, and about God, in our transitions than on all the smoother pathways that we journey.”
I truly enjoy that phrase “the bridge that leads from the no longer to the not yet.”
Philippians 4:6-7 can certainly be our guiding light as we journey. Our seniors at CLHS await some significant transitions in their lives; however, we all have transitions to anticipate and endure/enjoy.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As we look to 2022, may we all find security and peace in God’s eternal changelessness. May God enrich our lives with growth and learning with bridges.
Luanne Erdos,
Career Internship Director