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By Marie Harrison

For the Clemmons Courier

I think one of the hardest parts of the whole college process for my son, and for me, is the waiting. Essays are written, recommendations are procured, applications are submitted and then, you wait… and wait.

For my son, hoping to go to a military service academy, it could be April before he knows anything for certain, the waiting seems to just go on and on. And yet, in the midst of all the waiting, there have been bright lights. Over the past few weeks, my son has received letters of assurance or letters of interest from two of the service academies to which he has applied. While not an official “you’re in!,” these letters are basically the equivalent of saying “you’re in! as long as you can get a nomination.” 

Encouraging? Yes. Final? No. Still waiting? Definitely. 

But receiving these letters did so much to bolster my son’s hopes in the middle of all the waiting. It’s hard not to think of the college admissions process as basically a giant game of “Do They Like Me?” 

Much like the first day of school after summer break, walking into a new class with new people and new teachers, wondering if you picked the right outfit, or if you will “fit in” with the popular crowd, or if you will have someone to eat lunch with, there is so much about “you” that colleges must pick through. Do they like your extracurriculars? Did you have enough leadership? Were your grades up to par? And don’t even get me started on standardized testing. With applications submitted and control completely out of your hands, college admissions feel very much like you are hoping to be picked by the popular kids and get an invite to the party. 

So, getting letters that say, “Hey, we like you,” are encouraging. It gives my son hope that he will fulfill his lifelong dream of attending a service academy and ultimately serving his country, but as much hope as all of this brings, we, his parents, are careful to remind him that none of this really matters. Yes, we would love to see our child achieve his dream. Yes, we would love to see the hard work and dedication he has put in pay off. But, ultimately, none of this really matters. Whether the “popular” kids pick him to join their school or whether he charts a path completely different, his worth and identity is not in what college he chooses to attend, his identity is solely and completely rooted in the fact that he is a child of God. He is loved by his Creator. And no college admission or rejection will change that.

God’s love isn’t conditional upon an acceptance. God doesn’t send letters of assurance that say, “Hey, I like you but keep working.”

God sent His only Son to die for us, to make a way for us to live forever with Him in heaven, God loves us, period. No” buts,” no conditions, just love. And whether we become CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a kindergarten teacher, God’s love for us is constant. 

It is easy to let the world dictate what we should place value on, or what we should use to find our worth, but ultimately, it’s not the world’s decision, it’s God’s. We were made by God. We are loved by God. And God wants nothing more than to welcome us into heaven and live with us for eternity. Our identity is not in what we can do, or who we know, or what we look like. Our identity is in Christ. And when we stop and realize that this is all that really matters, it puts everything else in life back into its proper place. So, while my son sits waiting on an acceptance letter that may or may not ever come, I am grateful that he knows he’s already “in” where it matters most. In God’s college, we all get acceptance letters and Jesus already paid our debts, a free ride to eternity in heaven, now that’s something worth celebrating.