I have been a student at Williams Baptist College for 1.5 years and am now a Senior at this place that should be God-forsaken out in the fields with no sign of a high populated area nearby, yet He has been reigning on this campus for a long time. This semester I have grown more as an individual than I ever have, not by the classes I take, but through the experiences I am given.
First off, I have lost almost all of my friends from not only my past but also here on Williams campus. Most people would think losing friends would be a huge negative impact on someone's life, but this has been the most humbling experience I have undertaken. I have basically went from a somebody to a nobody in very little time flat. Why did I do this? Why am I living in a little more solitude? Because God is preparing me. He has given me some tremendous people to experience life with which I'll get to later on in this post.
God has also shown me that no matter how much biblical academics I may know, I must never lose sight of what's way more important than that; Jesus. I may know a lot of things that others do not, like backgrounds of biblical passages, cultures and geography of the biblical areas, and many other trinkets, but if I don't understand that the world needs a dying and lost Savior, then there's no point. If I don't understand that Christians need to have a guide to make them strive more than just a Sunday morning worship service, then my life is void. I am like the salt that has lost its flavor only to be trampled on by men (Mt 5:13). God is alive and is powerful and not one person within the church can be taught deep theological things unless they know the Lord, unless they have become disciples themselves.
Williams has allowed me to grow in my spiritual walk with the Lord. I have never opened my Bible more than I have since coming to this "God-forsaken" place. I have never been more in prayer, more in expelling demons from my life and others, more in worship, more in praise, more in life with my Father. I have always wasted my time in the worthless things of this world, but now I want to "waste" time with Him. I want to spend my time with my Lord and I want my life to be about what is true in the light of eternity.
God has allowed me to meet some amazing people here at Williams whom I believe I will be able to keep in contact with for the rest of my life. Ben Carr has been my spiritual guide for a few months now and as many times as we fail each other as best friends, I can not imagine him not being there. He has listened to me complain. He has listened to my old sinful life. He has listened to everything under the sun that I have told him and he is still standing by my side through each fault, through each triumph, and through each problem that comes my way with encouraging words. Ben recently changed his major from Christian Ministries to Psychology and as much as I hated him for doing this, I now realize he has been working in psychology with me through these past few months just listening to me vent and struggle... and letting me find out everything for myself with nonjudgmental tones. Ben, stick close. You make me mad sometimes but you do have an impact on a lot of the things I do. Elizabeth Kessler... I have put you through all sorts of junk and back. Making you listen to me in my car rant about things that you didn't want to hear. Making you go with me on trips just to be put back on the backburner each and every time. Making you have patience for everything because I'm not ready for everything that is to come. You see, I'm a worrier. I worry about people and I worry about what my life will become because I never got the chance to think about myself. I never got the chance to think my life was going to become something more than just a people person and helping others in need. So to say that I'm scared would be an understatement. I love you... with all of my heart. But I have absolutely no understanding of how to show it because I have never experienced it before. So when I say I need patience... I need patience. You have seen me in my complete failures and in my successes and even told me I was stupid for several things I had done... yet you stuck by me. You allowed me to be your spiritual leader as if a wife would because we both understand that biblically, we are dating for the reason of possible futures. You have told me your problems and I sometimes ignore it and do other things but I'm stubborn. You understand this.. and you haven't quit. Even when you wanted to, you didn't. I don't have anything big and elaborate for you for Valentine's day this year... I'm a broke college student... but understand this: I want you to be fully awake and aware that I love you. I love you. Be patient... and adhere to God's timing on everything.
Without God's direction to Williams... my life would have not ever begun.
