abundant blessings & grace!
May 21, 2012
This semester I took the second part of one of the PhD core classes; typically, the course requires 5 projects, 1 midterm, homework assignments, and a final - a full work load. However, this semester, a different professor taught the course and it became nothing but a few assignments and one final project! Easy peasy! o_o Why was this a blessing? Well, I was finishing up my master's program and needed to take the cumulative exam, which required many hours to study for. God provided me with not only the time to study, but also the time to truly invest in leading the young adult ministry & growing in my own relationship with God through books, Bible reading, and more prayer times. I've so very much enjoyed having more time to spend with God this semester and being able to find refreshment & rest in Him again. And God also blessed me with great project members. They were super considerate, smart, and kind - they allowed me the freedom and time to commit to studying while they did most of the project. How in the world could I have found better project members? God really does provide; I am greatly humbled. I was able to study hard for the last two months & passed my MA exam (just barely) ! And again, God is faithful and provides in allowing me to pass. There really was a bit of anxiety about whether or not I'd pass and be able to continue onto the PhD, but what God has willed, He will bring to pass, and I have the blessing of following in His leading & seeing the ways He provides.
There were additional blessings & amazing deeds! I was looking for a roommate for the following four years (YUP I will be staying for another 4 years for the PhD :] ), and of course, most ideal would be an incoming PhD student, but how would I find one? I remember freaking out about finding a roommate on Good Friday & really struggling in trusting God to provide a roommate for me (nothing had worked out so far) & lo&behold, that very night I received a response, and the next day I received two more responses! I was immediately reminded of Matthew 14: 31 - Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Why had I doubted & struggled? I of little faith was truly astounded and humbled by the abundance of grace shown me by God. I didn't receive just one roommate option, but 3! And the one that worked out best was an incoming PhD student just like myself! God not only provided, but provided beyond what I thought would be possible - another incoming PhD student who would need housing for four years as well.
And the cherry on top! - my parents came up for my graduation and we dropped by the new apartment to look at it from the outside. But surprisingly, the keys were just hanging there on the door knob! o_o The tenants had left the country three days before, and so the keys had just been sitting there for three days (they somehow forgot their keys....). No robbery, and no break in! This was a huge blessing because I really wanted my mom to be able to see the inside of the apartment somehow, but had thought it'd be impossible, but God truly makes the impossible possible. Who would have thought that the keys would just be hanging there?! Without being taken & the place broken into?! My parents got to see the inside of the apartment and meet my future landlord and I left feeling incredibly amazed and overwhelmed by how truly awesome it was that God had allowed that to happen.
The verses that I've constantly referred back to this semester are Ephesians 3: 20-21 - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. and Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
God's done more than I could have ever asked or imagined and He has truly provided with and given me all that I need and much more beyond that! I serve an amazing God, and I am constantly amazed and humbled by His lavishing on me the richness of His grace, mercy, and love! During the waiting period for the apartment, I prayed that God would give me the apartment if it glorified Him, and to not, if it would glorify Him more that I did not get it. I want to in all things glorify Him and to see all that I receive and do not receive as ultimately what God deemed better to glorify His name with ! This semester has truly been filled with much blessings & grace and beyond being thankful for what I have received, I am much more grateful for God's grace in growing me in deeper communion with Him, in allowing me to experience what it means to know His peace in His leading and to see how while I wait in trust, He works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will!
We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 75:1)
"Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you." (Numbers 11:23)This semester has been filled with too many blessings from God :) ! It's amazing how God works & how God provides despite how little faith I may have. He truly does work out everything for the good of those who love Him, and I am privileged to be able to glorify His name in proclaiming his wonderful deeds!
This semester I took the second part of one of the PhD core classes; typically, the course requires 5 projects, 1 midterm, homework assignments, and a final - a full work load. However, this semester, a different professor taught the course and it became nothing but a few assignments and one final project! Easy peasy! o_o Why was this a blessing? Well, I was finishing up my master's program and needed to take the cumulative exam, which required many hours to study for. God provided me with not only the time to study, but also the time to truly invest in leading the young adult ministry & growing in my own relationship with God through books, Bible reading, and more prayer times. I've so very much enjoyed having more time to spend with God this semester and being able to find refreshment & rest in Him again. And God also blessed me with great project members. They were super considerate, smart, and kind - they allowed me the freedom and time to commit to studying while they did most of the project. How in the world could I have found better project members? God really does provide; I am greatly humbled. I was able to study hard for the last two months & passed my MA exam (just barely) ! And again, God is faithful and provides in allowing me to pass. There really was a bit of anxiety about whether or not I'd pass and be able to continue onto the PhD, but what God has willed, He will bring to pass, and I have the blessing of following in His leading & seeing the ways He provides.
There were additional blessings & amazing deeds! I was looking for a roommate for the following four years (YUP I will be staying for another 4 years for the PhD :] ), and of course, most ideal would be an incoming PhD student, but how would I find one? I remember freaking out about finding a roommate on Good Friday & really struggling in trusting God to provide a roommate for me (nothing had worked out so far) & lo&behold, that very night I received a response, and the next day I received two more responses! I was immediately reminded of Matthew 14: 31 - Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Why had I doubted & struggled? I of little faith was truly astounded and humbled by the abundance of grace shown me by God. I didn't receive just one roommate option, but 3! And the one that worked out best was an incoming PhD student just like myself! God not only provided, but provided beyond what I thought would be possible - another incoming PhD student who would need housing for four years as well.
Then came the apartment search. It was difficult looking for apartments because so often I felt not content with them. Was I being too picky? Was I being too high maintenance? I finally found one that looked good on paper - 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, near campus, within our budget, relatively safe area. It was good enough that I had both my roommate and my application papers all set & ready to go when I went to the open house. But when I looked, there was no peace, but I couldn't understand why. There was nothing I could pinpoint to to say 'that is why I don't particularly want this place' but remembering that I had prayed the day before with my parents for God's peace to be with me if I were to apply for that place, I left without applying. I was scared though, that maybe I was just being nitpicky, but I wanted to trust that God would answer with peace if it were His will. I then went to my friend's mom's building that she owned. I had thought it wouldn't work out because of budget and primarily because of its location on the first floor. But when I went in, I instantly liked it! I wanted the place! (I had seen at least 10 other places and didn't like any of them for some reason or another) I was to sign the lease in two days, but then I received a phone call from my friend's mom informing me that the current tenant may not move out after all. She would let us know in a week, and so I waited a week, learning to trust that if it was truly God's will, then I would get it. It was difficult though; I questioned why it was that such an apartment would be presented to me that I'd finally like and then it would be nearly taken away, but I had to trust that in all things God was sovereign & He had a plan. A week passed, the tenant wanted another three weeks to search for a roommate, would I wait? Normally, I am a very worried & anxious person. I want backups, backups of backups, and I want plans that would cover over every worse case scenario. But God truly did give me peace to wait for the apartment, for three weeks. It was cutting it a little close for when I had to find an apartment by but I was at peace with waiting, and I trusted that God would provide. I looked at 1 or 2 other apartments in the meantime, but surprisingly, I really didn't feel any urgency to go out searching for a backup plan. I knew that if it were God's will, it would go through, and if it weren't He'd provide another place. I wasn't always on board with waiting though; there were a few times when I became discouraged, wondering why God would present an option just to take it away, but God provides encouragement in His word & reminded me that in the Christian life, we have certainty in the uncertain. Our circumstances may be uncertain, but our certainty lies in God, our hope & redeemer. While everything else in our lives may be up in the air, God is not. He is near & He is our sure hope & Savior, and that gives us the greatest security & comfort of all, that in the midst of all uncertainty, God is always there & sovereign. After the three weeks, I was informed I could take the apartment :)
Honestly, if I had not gotten the apartment, it would have been fine because the most precious thing about the situation was that I learned what it meant to know God's leading & peace in trusting Him despite how circumstances looked. I've began to learn to know what God's peace is and how He leads me and how He will provide for me. It is a precious experience and process that I am grateful for above getting the apartment. In the decisions to come, I will be able to point back at this experience and truly know that when I pray and trust in God, He will lead, He will make His will and leading clear, and He will provide and I will be able to know what is the direction He is leading me in.
Isaiah 30:21 - Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."I believe in this verse wholeheartedly & I am excited as God continually leads me in recognizing His leading & peace!
And the cherry on top! - my parents came up for my graduation and we dropped by the new apartment to look at it from the outside. But surprisingly, the keys were just hanging there on the door knob! o_o The tenants had left the country three days before, and so the keys had just been sitting there for three days (they somehow forgot their keys....). No robbery, and no break in! This was a huge blessing because I really wanted my mom to be able to see the inside of the apartment somehow, but had thought it'd be impossible, but God truly makes the impossible possible. Who would have thought that the keys would just be hanging there?! Without being taken & the place broken into?! My parents got to see the inside of the apartment and meet my future landlord and I left feeling incredibly amazed and overwhelmed by how truly awesome it was that God had allowed that to happen.
The verses that I've constantly referred back to this semester are Ephesians 3: 20-21 - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. and Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
God's done more than I could have ever asked or imagined and He has truly provided with and given me all that I need and much more beyond that! I serve an amazing God, and I am constantly amazed and humbled by His lavishing on me the richness of His grace, mercy, and love! During the waiting period for the apartment, I prayed that God would give me the apartment if it glorified Him, and to not, if it would glorify Him more that I did not get it. I want to in all things glorify Him and to see all that I receive and do not receive as ultimately what God deemed better to glorify His name with ! This semester has truly been filled with much blessings & grace and beyond being thankful for what I have received, I am much more grateful for God's grace in growing me in deeper communion with Him, in allowing me to experience what it means to know His peace in His leading and to see how while I wait in trust, He works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will!
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