"Where are you going to college next year?"
The question that just about everyone seems to be asking. My answer?
I’m not… Surprise!
A year ago I had no idea where I wanted to go after high school, or what I wanted to major in. I’m starting to figure it out; I’ve narrowed it down to several schools and have realized that English is my forte. And next year, I am planning on going to college.
But I’m not in a hurry.
Because God has led me in a different direction, so in five months I will be leaving Colbert, Washington and embarking on an adventure of a lifetime, and I’m excited. I fell in love with other cultures a long time ago, visiting China and Nicaragua only deepened my desire to travel. You know, that’s the amazing thing about the time period we live in, it is so easy to find yourself halfway around the world. What an amazing gift it is to live in this time of travel and technology. And what a great responsibility.
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
Mark 16:15
All the world? Ok God. Last summer at the Global Leadership Conference I practically begged God to send me. The problem was that I was telling Him where I thought He should send me. Back to Nicaragua, back to the kids in Los Cedros and Jinotega, back to a trip where I was comfortable and happy, back to the routine of the last two years. And when that door closed I was devestated.
There is quote that goes like this,
"When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."
Well, praise Jesus, I saw open door, but it took awhile for me accept it.
Several months actually.
Several months of almost hitting the apply button but doubting it. Is this really what God wants for me? What if I'm not really called to be on this trip? What if I'm not good enough? Several months of excuses and several months of prayer.
Now I can say I am sure that this next year is exactly what God has planned for me, and it is so much better than the plans I had for myself. That realization brings such amazing peace. I may not know where I am going to live for nine months, or what exactly I am going to do, or who I am going to be with.
But I do know that wherever, whatever, and whoever those turn out to be, God has put each of us there to do what we He has planned for us to be doing. And whether that is playing with orphans, prayer walks through the streets, visits to hospital, or construction work, we will be furthering God's Kingdom and "going into all the world."
So no, I will not be packing up to head to a university this fall. But I completely trust that God has big things in store. So stay tuned, because this is going to be an adventure. And I'm ok with that.
