“The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” -Psalm 32:8
For the past year and a half, I’ve been searching for the right college to go to. It’s been quite an adventure (you can ask my parents). One week I wanted to go to college in California and the next week I wanted to go to Australia to study with Hillsong College. I was trying so hard to find the right school without any success. I wondered, how was I searching for so long with no results? The answer lies in Proverbs 3:5-6, a scripture that is well known, but many times not taken to heart. It says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take”. Although I knew this scripture, I was by no means living it at this stage in my life. I wanted to control where I was going because I thought I knew what was best for me. I could not have been any more wrong. While I was searching for a college, pushing God out of the decision, I was constantly worrying about what I was going to do with my future. I have to admit, I not only caused a bit of anxiety to come upon me, but also to my parents. I was always asking “What am I supposed to do,” Where am I supposed to go,” and so on. Proverbs 1:33 says, “… but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm”. If I had just given this over to God in the first place, I wouldn’t have been so worried or anxious because God would have took the burden and taken care of it.
Finally, instead of listening to my head, I made a decision in my heart to give this whole thing over to God. From that moment I felt rest come to my mind and a peace flood my body. I know that I had done the right thing. Within that month, I had already scheduled a tour at a Christian college that is very close to where I live. Let me just say, at that time I had no plans of attending there because I had heard many poor things about it from other people. My expectations were low and I walked into the tour with the thought in the back of my mind that I was probably not going to attend here. Even though my mind felt this way, I still wanted to keep my heart open to anything God had for me, for “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23). I was shocked when I got there and I had such an amazing peace while touring the school. The campus body felt like a big family, and I felt like I was home. I knew that this peace could’ve only been from God, and I was so excited that I had finally found a school that implements Christian curriculum and meets all of my expectations for a college. The answer had (literally) been right in front of me all along, and I hadn’t even cared to see it! God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you… They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope”. Thank God for His patience and His wonderful plans for for those who love Him!
