For as long as i can remember, I’ve always loved to help people. I knew I wanted to be a social worker when I entered high school. I can also remember telling my guidance counselor that I wanted a career that involved the least amount of math and science (God laughed- I ended up having to take science major biology and human anatomy- but I survived!) There were a few times in college that I thought about changing my major, but there was nothing else that I could see myself doing. Being in a helping profession is certainly a calling and takes a lot of faith for God to provide- you certainly don’t choose it for the money.
I had my life planned out for when I graduated college. I was not one of those “ring by spring” girls- although I sure thought I would be. I was very involved in the BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministries). It played such a huge role in my life and shaping my faith while I was in college. It helped prepare me for ministry today. I made some life long friends and have so many wonderful memories. I thought for sure that I would meet my husband in college at the BCM- nope. Now don’t get me wrong, I made some great guy friends there. I used to think if only I could take qualities from different ones and put them all together in one guy, I’d be set. :)
I had many “Ebenezer” or remembrance moments while in BCM. One stands out in particular. It was the last worship service of my spring senior semester. Our BCM president, Joe, preached the sermon that night. He was talking about priorities. He said that something that I can still hear in my head to this day. “God should not be a priority but the page that we write our priorities on.” As the band played, those words rolled around in my head. I heard the Lord speak to my heart (not audibly but one of the few times that it was so clear He was speaking to me.) “Fifty years from now, it’s not going to matter who you marry or how many letters you have behind your name. All that matters is how you lived your life for me.” Tears flowed as I realized that it’s not always easy to give God the pen much less the paper to write the story. It didn’t matter that I wouldn’t get married until nearly 10 years later or that I had a master’s degree and letters behind my name. What would matter is how I lived my life for the Lord in between those things happening and in the days to come.