Sometimes God just works. He doesn't have to tell me...He just does. When I seek Him, He blesses me many fold in ways I may not even realize at the time. Wow. Today is a wow. Currently I am pursuing a Fulbright Scholarship--something I never really thought I would be doing. But God is like that. He puts people and things in your life to make fantastical things happen. Step one, many moons ago I 'happened' to feel called to politics....actually...scratch that, I'm not giving you the brief story...let me share my testimony with you.
So like I was saying, freshman year of high school, I feel like God is saying 'pursue politics.'..I'm thinking 'what?!?!'...politics was so not on my agenda. So I fight the idea for a while (ohhh, I was stubborn and He wasn't going to tell me what to do...but that didn't last long.) When I finally accepted the fact that He wanted me to go into politics, then it was that I needed to go to UL. Now for some reason I despised the idea of going to UL. I had this completely incorrect theory that it was a school for people who had no goals or accomplishment, as if I were settling. So my junior year of High School, my brother was looking at colleges and my parents drug me along to the 'silly' tour of UL. I told them straight up I was not going there and there was no sense in me looking...but I was required to go anyway. God's lining things up here... So I went to this tour and it just so happens that our guide was dating a McConnell Scholar--a Political Science scholarship--and he mentioned it to our group (not knowing my interest of course). And it was like God was telling me to apply to that. 'Fine, fine, God, but that doesn't mean I'm coming here.' was my thinking pattern.
Time passed and my senior year arrived. I'd planned on co-oping with IU half day for my senior year since my school offered it. Everything was pretty much in order until last minute out of the blue my dad decides I'm not driving that far every day, and that I'll have to go to-you guessed it--UL. Uhhhhggg, I thought. So I signed up for a Public Speaking class and drug my way onto campus with a bad attitude, andddddd I fell in love. Everything changed once I quit judging the book [or campus] by this cover I had in my mind. I still had not decided to go to UL though, in fact I had applied to about 5 schools. When people asked me where I was going, I would tell them whichever gave me the most money. I had the wrong motivation, and God knew it.
I had applied to this McConnell Scholar Program I mentioned earlier, which was a scholarship in Political Science...it was a very competitive process, and I made it past the first round into the final interviews. The interviews happened, I made a friend named Charley, and life moved on for a couple months. Then I got a letter from the program saying that I had not made it, but I was high on the list of alternates in the case someone turned down this amazing opportunity--ha, like that would happen. So money could no longer be my motivation at this point--had I gotten the scholarship, UL would have been offering me the most money and I would have chosen there based on my initial horrible motivation of dollar signs. God had taken money out of the picture, and I would have to listen and decide what He wanted me to do and what was really best for me. So I chose UL (imagine that).
A couple weeks later, I was offered the McConnell Scholarship (imagine that). God works His will when you let Him, and it is always for our best, even if we can't see it at that point.
Since then, I've become good friends with this Charley character I met at interviews. He leads into the next part of the story--not what I call my original testimony, but what inspires the blog today nonetheless. This is what I like to call my life of 'God-incidences' (not coincidences). So Charley and I had been good friends, and there was one semester where I was taking only 12 hours and he convinced me to take a language course since I had such a light load. Although the idea of upping my load seemed silly at first, since I was going to China, I took Chinese (and continued it the following semester)--something more about myself, but still would not have happened had it not been for his suggestion....so just remember from this part--I took Chinese.
Last semester I felt like helping out--I really love helping people, so one day I was reading through a UL mass email (which no one really reads through the whole thing...but this time I read it) and something caught my eye. There was a volunteering opportunity to tutor elementary students in reading...random, out of the blue, and I did it. So remember from this part that I tutored students.
I have this amazing Christian friend Lydia who I don't get to see much of, but who generally has a lot of valuable ideas and input. One day, I finally caught her online after not having talked to her for a while, and she told me about this thing she was doing with her church where you immeresed in Muslim culture for a day to understand their culture better in order to better love, serve, and help them. She told me that the sign ups were pretty much closed, but to email this guy in charge. Sure enough, I did it that night and though I shouldn't have been able to, he said he still had a spot. So I reached out to another culture.
Today, I had an interview for a scholarship that will allow me to teach English in another country. Now, mind you the process is just beginning, and I don't know yet if I will get this extremely competitive scholarship, etc., but as of yet, it seems God is lining things up---at least something is going to come out of it. I didn't originally think I would apply for this scholarship, but after going to China, I fell in love with culture, travel, etc.--and Charley once again encouraged me to pursue something. (Just think, if I hadn't pursued God's plan with the McConnell Center and UL and so on, I would have perhaps not met him, perhaps not taken Chinese, etc...it works when you do God's works). ...So I talked to the advisor and she was excited and thought I could really use to my advantage in my application that 1)I had taken some Chinese, 2)that I had tutoring experience in some form of teaching English, 3) that I had reached out to another culture and religion. Once again...imagine that. God-incidences.
Now, I don't know if I will get this scholarship, I really don't. Perhaps it's God's plan for my life, perhaps it's not, but I want to stop and praise Him for the people in my life. The moments that make it mine with His blessing. I want to thank and praise God for always surprising me and keeping me on my toes. What life holds at this point, I can only hope for and plan, but am not certain about. I only pray for His wisdom in the process, and His understanding if I do or don't take this particular path. I want to thank God for people who I've crossed paths with along the way like Lydia, Charley, and so many more who have helped me broaden my horizons. I ask for your prayers in this process. I also ask that you take a step back and look at your life...what in your life is God doing that you may not have realized? God-incidences? What decisions have/should you made/be making that will change your course or better prepare you for the future He has in store for you. I believe Romans 8:28 which tells us that ALL things work to the good of the called in Christ Jesus. Seek out His good for your life today and what part of His plan you should be pursuing now. I love you all.
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
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