Hank Houtman, Columnist

As I sit in this dull, tasteless and utterly plain room, pondering over what to write, I cannot help but realize this strange sense of oddness. My brain wanders from the colors of the trees outside and the deep shades of blue that streak across the sky, and yet I still have the feeling of uneasiness. I am not sure what it is or whether it is anything important. As I take another sip of my bland and cold cup of library coffee, I get hit with this sense of exactly what’s on my heart.

It’s everything. All of life and all of my friends. I have this sense of longing, and yet I am surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ. What is this sense of longing? Why is it eating away at my brain like a worm tunneling itself through an apple core? I ask God “What is this?”

At that moment I turn and look at my plans for after graduation. It’s in this single, uninterrupted moment that I realize exactly what this is. I am ready to start down a new journey in my life. My time as a student is coming to a close, and it’s time to embrace my true calling. For the past 16 to 17 years, I have been called to be a student, first and foremost. However, this pathway is nearing a crossing, and it’s time to step onto new ground.

I sit here and stare out the windows, wondering if this is what our past generations felt in their hearts when they felt it was time to dedicate their lives to a purpose or a certain direction. I sit in this chair and ponder over the past plans and places I have been over my years as a student. I am amazed by one recurring theme: the fact that no matter what you want to do or where you want to be, it’s only possible if what we do accords to our God the Father’s plan. Over the past years all of us have fallen, and yet we have still got back on our feet and kept going. I dare you to say that you did it all on your own, for you know that someone was with you the entire way. If it was not for the will of our Father, we would not be where we are today.

Just like our parents, grandparents and their parents before them, we have all fallen. What makes us different, however, is the strength and happiness we have drawn from our Father in heaven. While many have fallen and stayed down crawling, we have picked up our pack and kept pushing forward. While the wounds have healed and the scars are ever-present, we have still trekked forwards. The scars are there as a daily reminder to us

So I challenge you, look at your scars, look to your past, look to your history, look to your heritage, and do not simply shove it away, hoping to forget. Instead, look at everything as nourishment, as motivation, to push forward, helping those who have fallen along the way. Pressing forwards to live a life that will make a difference, a life that will testify to those around you that you will never settle for second best, but rather that you will always strive to be the very best in every aspect of your life. Never settle for anything. Never accept the phrase “I am not good enough.” You are the creation of our God! You are the living testament that there is a creator! Courage and Honor my friends ….Courage and Honor…

Go with God my friends.

Signing out… ..

Henderikes Houtman is no longer available.