College Lessons

God has been stretching me in a variety of ways over the past year. No matter where I am, He continues to teach me about who He is, who I am in Him, & who He wants me to be. As I prepare to graduate from college & close another chapter in my life, God reminded me of some of the great lessons He has taught me over the past five years.

Change is scary, but good.
Believe it or not, I am naturally shy & moving from Missouri to Wisconsin was terrifying. But, before I knew it, terror turned to ease, ease to comfort, & comfort to love. I wouldn't trade my four years on campus for anything. Over the years I have faced a few exciting & scary changes, but I can proudly attest that [by God's grace] each change has been good.

I am never done learning, growing, & stretching.
I am definitely not the same person who stepped on campus in September 2007. God has used those scary changes to teach me that He is still molding me into the person He wants me to be. I have learned to accept myself, to reach out to others, & to push myself outside of my comfort zone. Sure, growing hurts at times, but the rewards are priceless.

Life is ministry . . .
. . . and ministry is global. While God has not specifically called me to minister overseas, He has made it clear that a life sacrificed to Him is a life of ministry. I have found no greater joy than the joy of serving Christ through campus leadership, extension ministries, friendships, & now, teaching. Wherever I am & whatever I do my life is to be a ministry of Christ. Maybe one day I will get to minister outside of the United States, but for now, I'm delighted to be serving Christ in my Jerusalem.

Dreams can be reality.
Did you know that God wants to fulfill the greatest desires of your heart? While I definitely still have dreams that I eagerly anticipate becoming reality, God has fulfilled so many of my dreams that I have no right to complain. I am an English teacher--that's a dream I've had since 2nd grade. How cool is my God?!

Relationships are vital.
Over the past 5 years God has brought people into [& taken them out of] my life that have been vital to my growth in Him. Not every relationship will grow with the same intensity or fullness, but know that God has a purpose for each person, each conflict, each relationship, that He sends our way.

Laugh at yourself.
I love to laugh, but sometimes I seriously struggle with laughing at myself [especially when I'm laughing]. College taught me to embrace my quirks [including my obnoxious, loud, goose-like laugh] because true friends will love me better for them.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
Sounds easy, doesn't it? Infected with the cancer of worry, I often make a mountain out of a mole hill. The Lord has taught me to take a deep breath, relax, & let Him take control.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
While I was away from home, God taught me to cherish my family, but now that I am away from college, He has taught me to cherish the friends I met there.

I know that I will carry these lessons with me throughout the rest of my life, but I'm also excited to see how God will continue to mold me into the image of His Son. Who knows, maybe five years from now I will be able to add to & expand upon these college lessons.