Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A Year Later

April 23, 2013... I was at work.  I happened to be making dinner for the family I nanny-ed for.  I checked my email real quick.  I had an email from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was emailing to congratulate me on my acceptance.  I remember being overwhelmed with emotion.  I screamed on the inside.  I sent a mass text to a group of friends.  And, then I was overwhelmed with fear.  This dream that God had placed inside of me was becoming a reality.

If you've been around .Redeemed. for a while, you know the story of God calling me to SWBTS, me telling God no, God persisting, me applying, me getting accepted and me moving halfway across the country to start a new adventure.  Not new to .Redeemed., well... God called me to SWBTS in November 2012, I told God "there's no way", God told me "there's a way", I applied, I was accepted on April 23, 2013, and I moved halfway across the country in July 20, 2013. 

So, it has been a year since I was accepted to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  What a year it has been.  I would like to replay the last year for you. 

So, I was accepted to SWBTS on April 23, 2013.  In May, I went to dinner with my parents.  They thought I was taking them out to tell them that I had a boyfriend.  Instead, I told them that I was moving to Fort Worth, Texas.  Also, in May, after being unable to put it off any longer, I told my boss that I was moving for graduate school.  Everyone was so happy for me.  It was so reassuring to have so many people supporting what God was doing in my life.

June was quite a month.  For the sake of consistency for the children I was nanny-ing, they got a new nanny.  Fear of being jobless overcame me, but the Lord provided.  I began working for my parents, and picked up many babysitting and housesitting jobs.  I received an email from SWBTS with my name on it in June.  At the end of June, I moved out of my home for a year and a half and couch surfed for the month of July. 

July was filled with emotion.  It was in July that I would pack up a moving truck and travel halfway across the country to start a new adventure.  I would be leaving behind friends and family to chase after a dream of mine.  This was exciting, but terrifying.  I spent a lot of time with family and friends.  And, on July 20th, we set out for a three day adventure to Texas.

I was homesick, lost and lonely the majority of August and September.  The roommate situation wasn't fabulous, I had no friends, and I wasn't going to a church within the SBC *gasp*.  I wasn't finding my place in Fort Worth, Texas.

Things got better in October.  I was finding my place, making friends, embracing the place God had called me to and standing my ground... even when it wasn't in line with the Southern Baptist Way.

I got to fly home in November for Thanksgiving.  I am not one to cry in public.  But, after a not so grand flight experience... and being away from my family for far too long, I balled like a baby when I saw my brother at the airport at midnight in Augusta.  It was grand to share a midnight snack with him in the ghetto of Aiken at Waffle House.  It was absolutely wonderful to see my grandma, and my mom and dad, and baby brother.  Being back home with family for Thanksgiving was perfect.  Because my birthday is a week after Thanksgiving, we celebrated my 24th birthday a few days early. 

December flew by with exams, a family Christmas cruise, catching with friends and sleeping the days away.  Before I knew it, my five week break in Charlotte was up, and it was time to fly back to school.

January brought all sorts of transition.  When I arrived back in Fort Worth, I finally got to see my fabulous new apartment with my fabulous new roommate.  Thanks to wonderful friends, all of my furniture was already in our apartment.  The next day, I began my second semester at SWBTS, enrolled in thirteen hours, like a crazy person.  January, also, came packaged with an interview or two.  One door was closed because...

February brought a dream job!!!  After four years of praying for a position in ministry, God so eloquently placed the opportunity in my hands. 

March was a month of stretching.  Stretching of my time.  Stretching of my faith.  I had to remind myself that I am who God says I am.  I am qualified because God has called me.  I may not be your cookie cutter Christian seminary student, but I am a child of God who has a unique call from her Heavenly Father.