Room temperature coffee. Unfinished books. Working out for 15 minutes. Intelligent professors with monotone voices. Dull pencils. Bland potatoes.
These listed examples just leave me with a feeling of disappointment. If you know me, you know that I love my coffee, but if it’s room temperature, it’s absolutely disgusting. Reading gives us so much knowledge and incredible perspective, but an unfinished book leaves you with nothing. Working out for just 15 minutes is not going to do you any favors. If a professor can’t present new information to you in an engaging way, you tune out. Dull pencils are not an effective way to write. Who wants to eat bland potatoes?
If you get anything out of this piece of writing, it’s that I hate mediocrity.
Being mediocre is such an easy thing to do, but what makes going above and beyond so worth it?
My youth minister, Jake Teitgen, once gave a talk describing what the results of God’s friendship looks like. He likes to think of the people in his life that go ALL IN. The people that aren’t afraid of looking foolish. The people who put forth the effort.
That really struck me, and I began to reflect on my life and the people that I see go ALL IN.
I think of my lab partner, Megan. She goes all in. Megan is involved in so many things and she is fervent about everything she does. Her curious mind leads her to dive deeper into her knowledge of chemistry. Her selfless heart led her to take on huge leadership role in Purdue University Dance Marathon – the largest student-led philanthropic organization on campus. She does the most with her time and is still able to be such an authentic and caring friend to me and others.
I think of my friend, Nick. He goes all in. Nick is not afraid to jump into anything for the sake of youth ministry, even if the task at hand is absolutely ridiculous. And in everything he does for ministry, he isn’t afraid to let everyone know exactly who he is – a guy who is very passionate about spreadsheets and organization. But beneath the goofiness and obsessive organization, Nick is a guy with a really big heart and is someone whom I can count on for anything.
I think of my brother, Isaac. He goes all in. Isaac is a true source of strength and perseverance. When things get tough, he fights even harder. Isaac is the type of person who pushes you to be the best version of yourself, simply because of the way he is. I am so blessed to have a brother like Isaac, supporting me in everything I do and helping me in whatever capacity he can.
These people leave me with feelings that are quite the opposite of what a room temperature cup of coffee would. They are absolutely inspiring. These are the people I choose to surround myself with. These are the people that help me grow in holiness and into my vocation, whether they know it or not. They fill my own cup with love so that I am able to pour it out to others.
I got to thinking about my own journey and how I have grown to go all in. Throughout high school and the beginning of college I thought that this was what I was doing. I thought that building my resume and taking all of the hardest classes were going to bring me the most joy. But at that time, I was shaping myself up to be a distorted ideal of a successful person.
Would I inspire others the way that Megan, Nick, and Isaac inspire me if I continued to live my life for the sake of my resume? Absolutely not. Would I be a true and authentic example of God’s friendship if I didn’t go all in where I am supposed to go all in? Absolutely not.
On the day that I am writing this blog, the Gospel reading was Mark 4:1-20. In this passage, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. When the seeds fells onto ground that was not fit for their growth, there was no yield.
In many ways, I have felt like the seeds that fell on rocky soil. For my entire life, I thought that I was called to be a doctor and so I sowed my seeds to meet this goal. I lived my life for my resume because of this and it wasn’t until the fall semester of my sophomore year at college that I realized that I was not going to bear fruit if I continued sowing in rocky soil.
In fact, with the mindset that I needed to reach perfection in order to go to medical school, I began to break down when my results were not satisfactory. These doubts and my hunger for perfection took away from things that actually make me happy.
For the first time in my life, I questioned my career goal and future plans. I was scared, but a part of going all in is facing the unknown. When I decided to embrace the unknown, I began to pray, own whatever season of life that I was in, and thank God for those moments of joy. I took it upon myself to go all in and sow where God knew was best.
This meant writing more – journal entries, retreat talks, lab reports, and now, this blog again. Through writing, I discovered more about myself and my love for sharing my thoughts about science and faith with others. This meant sharing myself in small groups more – in my Bible study, religious education class, and lab groups. Through small group experiences, I discovered that I have a desire to lead others to grow in understanding.
All of my past success has been great, but in the end, it’ll leave me feeling mediocre if it was all for the wrong reason. By sowing my seeds in soil that will help me grow into my new career goal (being a professor), I am able to go all in where I need to. And through this, I found great joy and purpose. And by using the gifts that God gave me and, in the way that He intended, I become a better example of God’s friendship.
Going all in means being vigilant to how God is working in your life and listening to Him when He does. It means living your life in a way that helps you continue to grow into your vocation. It means making sacrifices. It means being bold.
For me, this doesn’t just apply to what career I go into. It also means going all in for the relationships that help me be a saint, like the relationships I have built with people like Megan, Nick, and Isaac.
By knowing who I am and where to sow my seeds, I am better equipped to grow in holiness and share God’s love to others. By surrounding myself with other people who go all in, I develop authentic friendships where we help each other find happiness.
Going all in will produce a life that is fulfilled and vibrant. Will you go ALL IN with me?
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