Hadley Takes Over

My favorite guest post writer.

Hadley was asked to write a devotion for our church, and here is what she wrote.

For Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but have the light of life.”

“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

“You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden.”

— JOHN 8:12, JOHN 9:5, AND MATTHEW 5:14 | CEB

12 universities. 20 essays. My fall has been overwhelmed by the college application process. I have been fighting an internal battle for months: trying my best not to compare myself to my peers. For each application I submit, I have to fight the thought that someone else has a stronger one. In a school full of musical prodigies, Division One athletes, and teenage geniuses, it can be difficult to find peace within myself, and to acknowledge my own accomplishments. I must remind myself that the purpose of college isn’t to highlight my weaknesses. The purpose of college is to expand my horizons, to meet new people, and to have new experiences. The purpose of college is to find my light and follow it.

Even in the hardest times, Jesus served and continues to serve as a light for all. During the Last Supper, when the disciples are confused and fearful of Jesus’s leaving, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus’s unwavering certainty serves as a pillar not only for the disciples of the Last Supper, but for each and every Christian that follows. Do not be troubled or afraid. There is always a light, even in what appears to be pure darkness.

No matter where I go or what I do, I will follow that light. Whether that means Boston, North Carolina, Chicago, or somewhere much closer to home, there will be a light for me to follow– a light that brings me peace because it far outshines the glare of any battle.

Prayer:

O God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference;
living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as a pathway to peace;
taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next.

- Reinhold Niebuhr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I’m currently a senior at Pioneer High School and I’ve been a member at First Presbyterian for about 9 years. I love spending time with the Youth Group at First Pres, but when I’m not there, I’m usually playing soccer, running cross country, playing the trombone, or doing homework.