As we were preparing to help with the college group in our church, it was brought up that I could easily relate to Freshman because of my recent move. It was the first time I had thought about the similarities of the two but I am in a Freshman Year type transition.
Much like Freshman Year you are struggling to find your place and your people. You're confused and sometimes uncomfortable. Freshman year is refreshing for most because it means a new start. No one knows if you were a nerd in high school or even that you might have been popular. Everyone comes in with a fresh start. I loved that about my freshman year of college. I've been thinking a lot about that year lately. Probably because it was 10 years ago {letting that sink in...} or because I feel like I'm there again except this time I'm coming into a new city as the only one starting new. I'm the only person on campus running around confused about which building to be in!* Moving is tough. I never realized how hard it could be. I have a new respect for military families who find themselves making this adjustment ever 2-3 years.
I look back on my Freshman year of college fondly. It was by far one of the more difficult years of my life. I remember in one of the early weeks of being at OBU my dad came for a visit and I begged him to take me home and he almost did but as he has shared with him more recently he knew I had to stay and taking me home would have been the easy way out.
Had I gone home to where I was comfortable, I would haven't been roommates with Bethany Swift. I wouldn't have lost Bethany in a car accident just 3 months into my freshman year. But I also wouldn't have seen the Lord work through that. I wouldn't have made the friendships or the memories and let me tell you - there's too many to count.
That year required a lot of faith and trust and there were a lot of parts that weren't comfortable, but I wouldn't trade that time of my life for something easier. It's made me who I am today. Its part of my story. Just like this new "freshman year" is going to be a part of my story. I could go home. I could quit. But that would be the easy way out. There's new friendships to be made and memories to make.
I'm going to stop looking at all the things that are different in my life now that I live in Texas because that's the equivalent of still wearing your letter jacket in college. I'm gonna embrace my fresh start and be thankful that this time - I'm not having to take Chemistry!!!
*On my first week of college I was in a building looking for my class number. I found the number and the door seemed to be locked. I was so confused, I wasn't late for class....turns out that classroom was a closet. I was in the wrong building. Luckily, a friend's sister/an upperclassman was kind enough to point it out and never mention it again.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Next Big Adventure
It's interesting that last post on this blog was from July 18, 2013. I had no idea in 2013 just arriving home from what at the time felt like the biggest adventure of my life that that date years later would be start of another adventure.
I don't find it ironic though. I feel like saying YES to going to Ecuador was part of how I ended up in Texas. The Lord needed me to be willing and able. He needed me to be open to saying YES to Him and knowing His plans are perfect and good. (It's hard typing that because I've struggled so much with actually believing that at times but more on that later.)
Shortly after returning from Quito, I began dating Clayton. I love our love story and maybe I'll blog about that some other time. It was almost a year into dating (immediately following basketball season which is a hectic time in our lives) that Clayton took me on a date to Oklahoma City. Driving home, Clayton looks at me and says "Chris called...there's an opening at DBU"
It was like the world paused. I knew that was his dream job and there wasn't a doubt in my mind what his answer would be but I didn't know what that meant for us. Our relationship was relatively new but we both knew in our minds where it was headed and I knew it meant I was headed to Texas.
Coming to Texas has been one of the most difficult things for me. I knew I loved Oklahoma but I guess I didn't realize just how much! I've almost lived here two years now and still wake up feeling in a funk about being in a new place. I think it's because there are so many daily reminders of how things are different. Don't get me wrong, we've found wonderful friends and we love our church, both of which we are so thankful for. I just sometimes I feel like I'm living in the witness protection program. New name, new home, new friends, new phone number, new husband - not much in my life looks the same as it did 3 years ago when I returned home from Ecuador. So this is where I pick back up...with our next big adventure.
I don't find it ironic though. I feel like saying YES to going to Ecuador was part of how I ended up in Texas. The Lord needed me to be willing and able. He needed me to be open to saying YES to Him and knowing His plans are perfect and good. (It's hard typing that because I've struggled so much with actually believing that at times but more on that later.)
Shortly after returning from Quito, I began dating Clayton. I love our love story and maybe I'll blog about that some other time. It was almost a year into dating (immediately following basketball season which is a hectic time in our lives) that Clayton took me on a date to Oklahoma City. Driving home, Clayton looks at me and says "Chris called...there's an opening at DBU"
It was like the world paused. I knew that was his dream job and there wasn't a doubt in my mind what his answer would be but I didn't know what that meant for us. Our relationship was relatively new but we both knew in our minds where it was headed and I knew it meant I was headed to Texas.
Coming to Texas has been one of the most difficult things for me. I knew I loved Oklahoma but I guess I didn't realize just how much! I've almost lived here two years now and still wake up feeling in a funk about being in a new place. I think it's because there are so many daily reminders of how things are different. Don't get me wrong, we've found wonderful friends and we love our church, both of which we are so thankful for. I just sometimes I feel like I'm living in the witness protection program. New name, new home, new friends, new phone number, new husband - not much in my life looks the same as it did 3 years ago when I returned home from Ecuador. So this is where I pick back up...with our next big adventure.
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