Thoughts on Fall 2006

It’s been a while, but I’m back to reflect on my semester. It was hectic, challenging, and full of more life lessons—some I’m still learning at the moment.

Before the semester started, I had all these expectations about how it would go—academically, professionally and personally. Academically and professionally, things did not turn out the way I expected. There were more bumps, turns and twists than anticipated. But I also realized that the unexpected came from me going to God with a plan and expecting him to pre-approve it, rather than going to Him open, knowing that He would direct me where I needed to be. I’m happy to say that midway through the semester I corrected my error, and ended up where I wanted to be—but with a better understanding of God’s grace, mercy, and a kind of spiritual and personal growth that only He can give.

Sometimes I feel I’m spinning wheels—like God is having to teach me the same lesson over and over again. But on the other hand, I think that with each lesson I learn about trusting Him, I conquer a different manifestation of doubt. And from that perspective, the number of situations in which I have difficulty trusting God have dwindled. I think that for the personal, I’ve accepted that--with some exceptions. With 2007 just days away, I know that the more I fix my eyes where they need to be, the more wonderful a year I’ll have. That’s a blessed assurance.