Personal Miracle

Picture 30,000 fans screaming and singing along to the song “Breakfast” by the Newsboys. Fans are jumping up and down tossing boxes of Captain Crunch cereal back and forth, thousands of lights are illuminating the night sky, and speakers are pumping out the powerful lyrics sung by Peter Fuler. On this final night of Sonshine Music Festival, Liberty University recruiters take the stage and pump up the crowd even more. They hand out an incredible bass guitar to one ecstatic fan and a brand new Wii to a younger boy. It is then that the crowd goes silent, because the biggest prize of all—a $16,000 scholarship to Liberty—is about to be given away. There is a drum roll and the winner is announced.

Hundreds of feet away from the stage, a girl is standing by the gates checking tickets. Her hands automatically begin to clap for the lucky winner. She glances, confused, at her overly excited sister who is standing next to her screaming and jumping up and down. The winner’s name finally registers: it was her. It was me! Shock, joy, excitement, disbelief, and so many more emotions overwhelm me. Realizing it was an academic scholarship, I settled on an intellectual response to the situation—jumping up and down, screaming alongside my sister.  My suave and stable response had an effect on the stream of people coming through the gates. I had no idea who I was letting through the gate—anyone who jumped up and down was good to go. There was only word that could describe that moment—blessed (and, soon, a sore throat).

I was truly blessed four years ago when I went up to the Liberty University booth and received that scholarship. I received a personal miracle from the Lord that night. Looking back, it was not expressly about the money (although this college student is still quite appreciative of the amount). At the time, it was more about God’s clear and strong hand pointing me to a school across the country to where He wanted to continue to work in my life in unimaginable and amazing ways. It was an answer to a confused high school student’s prayer. At Liberty, I have received an incredible education, the knowledge of who I am in Christ, and what it truly means to follow my Lord and Savior.

As I now prepare to walk across that stage amid the screaming cheers and yells from fans (okay, it’s my mom), I cannot help but wish God would let me win another scholarship—one to tell me where He wants me in the working world. However, I know God will provide in His perfect timing. I would not trade the tears of frustration, the desperate prayers of direction, and the growth I have gone through for any amount of money. I have never clung tighter to Jesus than these past few months. The unknown of this world terrifies me, but it also challenges and strengthens me, because I know that my Redeemer lives and that He is at work. That is the only graduation gift I truly need. 

Make War

Change: both exciting and difficult. As I was packing up my room in my awesome house on Lakewood Street, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was doing the right thing. Here I was leaving all of my college friends, a great job on campus filled with many memories, an amazing and caring atmosphere, some crazy friends, and on my last semester of college. WHAT WAS I DOING?!!!! During my break at home, I came to terms with leaving but for some reason I couldn’t get excited about my upcoming internship in D.C. I was worried and scared. What if my roommates weren’t a good fit? What if I hated ALEC—the organization I was working for? What if I got mugged in the streets of Washington? What if this internship didn’t lead to a job? How was I going to fit all of my clothes in such a small apartment?

God flipped my world upside down when I arrived at D.C. Who was I to question where He was taking me? I needed to drop the “what if” games pronto and start relying fully on Him and get down on my knees. Being at Liberty has been a blessing. It has challenged me to grow in my faith and given me a great education. But that door has closed and I’ve realized that I’ve forgotten the need and the desire to pray. I need God desperately. If I’m not seeking after Him daily, while the world swirls around me trying to sweep me off of my feet, then I’m not going to know where I’m going or what I’m doing.

I have been blessed with great roommates, an amazing hall full of guys and girls that are motivated and fun, an opportunity to work at a conservative organization that is making a difference in D.C. and around the U.S., the privilege to visit and see historical sites, and the direction to the right church—National Community Church.

God is good. Even in my weakness and doubting, He is strong. I’m not going to let Satan pull me under or knock me down. God is and will use me. He knows what’s best for me and where I’m going next. So the devil is going to have to try even harder to bring me down, because I’m about to make war.