It is the nature of most young people to be in a hurry.
Every little kid can hardly wait to be in the next grade. Almost every Middle School student is excited about heading to High School and most High School students long for graduation day when they can spread their wings and fly into the world of adulthood.
Upon graduation a good portion of young men and women hurry off to college and as soon as that last cap and gown is cast aside they want to hurry into a career and life on their own.
This race track into the working world is both natural and understandable as becoming a real “adult” is most often defined by plunging into the workforce river.
But perhaps there is some wisdom in slowing down for just a bit before the final launch. Maybe taking a year off before, during or after college, trade school or finishing preparing for a career. This break is called a “gap year” and it might be a healthier choice in the race towards official of adulthood.
Here are few reasons why:
- There is adventure out there that you may miss out on if you jump straight into fulltime workforce. You see, before you know it, you will have a stack of bills that need paying, an apartment that you are tied to by a lease, car expenses, insurance; all the stuff that chains people down to only weekends free and a short vacation here and there.
- Most young adults need to have their home town boundaries expanded. They need to meet some new safe and sane people who might have different cultures and backgrounds. They need to experience new countries, try new foods, live daily life with a different cadence.
- Later on, you will most likely regret racing into the working world of adulthood. The reality is that there will be mountains you are no longer in shape to climb, places you could have visited that no longer exist and energy or time that you no longer have for the kind of adventure which you could pull off right now. And there are even ministries that you can never help with once you have a job and/or family.
- You many need a stronger spiritual foundation. Life and perhaps your college experience will challenge your faith with many questions that you might not be prepared to answer. In fact, college age Christians are at high risk when it comes to having their faith deconstructed because they were not equipped with the tools needed to push aside those challenges. A short-term school of the Bible far from home is a great way to meet terrific new people, learn a ton about what you believe, why you believe it, develop your God given skills and have an adventure of your lifetime on top of that.
The bottom line is this: don’t be in a big hurry to join the everyday grind. It will be there when you get back…and by taking a gap year studying the Bible you will be far more ready and prepared to be useful in it.
Anchor House Kauai 