Freshman Reflections From Belmont UniversitySample

Day 5 – Transition When a person is young, the brain is simply a muddled mass of neurons. It is an important mass of neurons, but muddled nonetheless, chaotic in its desire to form any possible new neural connections no matter their importance. As one ages and develops, his or her brain becomes more clarified in its connections through a process known as pruning, a specialization of these neural networks. Though some connections within the brain will become more efficient and be strengthened by the individual’s life experiences, others will fade with time, all for the sake of improving that person’s mental capacity. This development from childlike brain matter into a more mature cognition, if it is to occur properly, must be directed within a supportive environment, complete with sufficient stability and care. Big transitions in life, like coming to college, happen in a similar fashion. Every person has his or her connections to family, friends and different aspects of home, some of which will be strengthened by the change of scenery and others that will fade for the betterment of the individual. Similarly, each person will go through the difficulties of finding new connections to replace those which have been lost. This can be an exciting yet stressful and unsettling experience, so in order for this to be a successful evolution of a person and his or her networks, one must be rooted in a stable environment to counterbalance the overwhelming changes. The word transition itself does not exactly inspire a feeling of stability, but thankfully we serve a stable God whose steadfast love and strength provide us with support in all circumstances, no matter our changing physical environment. The Psalmist reminds us that in God, we find “[our] rock, [our] fortress and [our] deliverer.” Not only is He well-established and grounded (as suggested by His being our rock and fortress), but He also desires for us to be delivered, which requires there be a change toward our improvement. This unwavering and supportive presence is the archetypical spiritual environment for our development. This, of course, is not to say there will not be difficulties in this period of growth or that we will always feel this loving presence. However, at a time when so much is changing and connections are being formed and broken, we can know there is strength in the One who is constant, whose loving, supportive connection with us is never lost amidst the transition, and He is always there, ready for us to find our stability in Him. ALLISON HARDEE Senior Mathematics major