An essay on learning to let go and trust Jesus
As a senior in high school, there are moments where life can be hectic. Trying to decide your path after high school is a great step in the direction of your future and a big part of being a senior. As I went into my senior year I wasn’t sure what my future might look like, but knew I wanted to go to college in the scientific field. I only had one option for college in mind, until my parents went to the National Eucharistic Congress. It was there they heard the University of Mary, and they came home with brochures advertising the Benedictine University in North Dakota. One thing led to another, and I ended up taking a tour of the university in August. While on the tour, I was introduced to the idea that people don’t have their lives figured out until they are almost retired. At first, I thought the professor was crazy, but as I thought about my future, his words started to make sense.
I applied for the University of Mary in August and didn’t hear back as to whether I was accepted or not until October. During this two-month chunk of time I was very anxious about my future. I felt that I needed to be able to control what I very obviously couldn’t. I needed to know exactly what I was supposed to do and where I was going to be in 10 years. For me, worrying about the future has always been a big issue. For some time, I thought I was going to be a dairy farmer and then a Carmelite nun, but now I am not so sure. Not knowing what I was going to do two months ago scared me completely, but it was through encounters with Jesus that I was able to understand God’s timing.
Relationships Formed in Adoration
Every Friday, I have the opportunity to adore Jesus in the monstrance as a campus ministry teaching assistant. During this 40-minute time period, I feel I have grown into a deeper relationship with Jesus, not just during adoration but in my day-to-day life. I can see myself growing in my prayer life by just being with Jesus in adoration. It is through this relationship with Jesus I have been able to see him in the people around me. It is through the people that God put in my life that I have found a sense of calm, knowing I am not in control.
Seeing some of my close friends allow Jesus to take control of their lives had a significant impact on how I viewed my future. My friends often said, “If I get in, I get in; otherwise, it wasn’t meant to be,” referring to their post-high school plans. That reminded me of something I heard at Steubenville this past summer: God wants you to be happy. He knows exactly what you need to feel completely fulfilled because He created you that way.
I felt completely fulfilled when I received a letter informing me that I had been accepted into the University of Mary. A sense of peace washed over me, as if it were meant to be. God’s timing was perfect; if I hadn’t experienced the anxiety about my future, I wouldn’t have developed the relationship with Jesus that I have today. No matter where I end up, I know that God has a plan and will continue to work in my life and in the lives of those around me.
Essay by Claire Sykora, Senior at Regis High School in Eau Claire
Published in the Spring 2025 issue of Catholic Life Magazine