Connecting the Dots with Growing Faith

I am so amazed by God's timing. And it's funny because not too long ago "God's timing" never would have crossed my mind. Things happened because they happened and sometimes they were good things and sometimes bad, but I never tried to connect any of those events with God or my faith in Him. I've come to realize exactly how huge of a role God is actually playing in my life. And it's incredible.

My senior year of high school is when I finally truly began to open myself up to God. It was a slow start. It wasn't like I just woke up one morning and had perfect faith in the Lord, I still don't have "perfect" faith. But I remember the day I suddenly felt more of a connection than I ever had before. It made me want to know more, ask more questions, and attend church more regularly. That is a day I am SO thankful for. And though my family and I have attended River Pointe Church on and off since I was in third grade, a couple years ago they joined a home team, and suddenly they were getting involved in very faith-based relationships that went deeper than acquaintances on Sunday mornings. And through this home team I have met so many incredible people. It's very powerful being able to share your faith with a group of individuals not only by talking about God and church sermons, but by just being there for each other and always allowing everyone to be themselves.

My freshman year in college (I was an english major and a photography minor) I met my current roommate Azalia in a beginning art class. Azalia has a strong faith in God. Though when I met her I didn't know anything about her Faith or that two years later she would be my roommate. Fast forward to my sophomore year when Azalia and I had a second art class together and ended up rooming together my junior and now senior year. Though Azalia and I may differ a lot in our opinions, she's such a good roommate and even more importantly a good friend, and she has been a positive influence in my faith walk.

Now, my sophomore year of college (at which point I now had no minor and was a major in elementary education) I met Vanessa. (I know this is a lot of information, but it'll pay off in the end, I promise). She was in my elementary music class and we ended up sitting together. She complemented me on my nails and we've been best friends ever since! It turned out her family lives fairly close to mine, but it wasn't until coming to San Marcos that we met. Unfortunately for me, she transferred schools and is now living with her husband in Houston. But because my family is in Sugar Land, I get to see whenever I'm home, which is such a blessing! I can honestly say that my faith in God and my ability to trust in Him is due in huge part to Vanessa. She was the first friend that I ever felt truly comfortable talking about and exploring my faith with. It's incredible sharing in this faith with her and knowing that she will never judge and will always listen and give advice and push me to rely more on God as well as to be more open about my Faith in all aspects of my life including my other friendships. I'm not sure if she knows that's what she's doing, but she is. I am SO thankful God chose to put her in my life.

Now here's where it gets fun (to me anyway). Though I am now an art major with no minor, when I first came to school I was an english major, but met Azalia in an art class for my minor. She was and still is, a communication design major. So thanks to having met her in that minor class, I found a good Christian roommate, who also eventually made me realize what I wanted to be, which is a communication design major and a graphic designer! Pretty cool.

Between realizing I didn't want to be an english major, but a communication design major, I thought I wanted to be a teacher. And in that teaching program I met Vanessa! And though teaching didn't end up being what I wanted to do with my life, if it weren't for that major I never would have met Vanessa who has had such an impact on my life!

Was that worth the read? It was definitely worth the time to write it. Something about seeing it down on "paper" makes it even more remarkable to me. Now I realize that God's plans aren't always, or ever, this obvious. And it isn't always important for me to know His plans, but in this case I think he wanted me to make the connection, all of these connections. Because it has brought me so much closer to him. It just goes to show that with faith in the Lord, no matter how many mistakes you think you've made (like changing majors three times), He always has your best interests at heart.