Posted in The Beauty Of Gods Provision

My nieces (college girl & bubbly) have been visiting us from Dallas for the summer, and we have taken them all around the Twin Cities area, including college hunting for my older niece.  I cannot believe the oldest Grandchild in our family is now 17 - wow!  I can still remember when I was in college, back in Dallas and my Mom called me from New York to tell me that college girl was born.  The first Grandchild in the family had made its entrance, and the family was enamored.  Since then we have had 7 more phone calls of children being born, but there seems to be something special about the first.

On Wednesday we visited a local christian university, and college girl fell in love with the campus.  God has done such a beautiful work in her since she has been here, and I am rejoicing at the direction He is giving her, and the peace.  When college girl first arrived she was completely closed to looking at christian universities because she thought that she would be too sheltered and taught "narrow-minded" ways. (Ikes!)  Now mind you this is a girl who was raised in a christian family, so it caught me off guard to hear her say this.  I can only attribute these statements to the huge influence public education has had on her life, that has tainted her views on christian education. I began to share with her how important it is to get an education that is based on a christian worldview, rather than a secular worldview, so that everything learned is seen from a biblical perspective (wisdom).  All other learning is just knowledge, but knowledge without wisdom is vanity. I am reminded of the scripture in Proverbs 3:13-14 that says, "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, And the man that getteth understanding. For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, And the profit thereof than fine gold."

College girl and I talked for quite awhile.  At the end she was still closed to a christian university education.  So I waited and prayed.  I figured that for 11 years this young one has only listened to secular teaching, except for a small amount of time on Sunday when she was at church.  It was going to take some time for God to illuminate and shed light on the dark areas of the soul, that had been blanketed by liberal talk, relative analysis, hedonistic philosophy and knowledge without faith. What she needed was a true, authentic and personal experience with God. One on one. 

That is exactly what happened!  One night during our house church meeting, we prayed for college girl, as she agreed.  In biblical fasion one person had a word, another an interpretation, another a prayer, and the body of Christ began to minister to this sweet young lady.  She broke as the years of pain came bubbling up, and the Lord touched each area of disbelief within her mind - tearing down the strongholds of secularism that had kept her in bondage to fear, stress and anxiety.  The Lord touched college girl and she is not the same.  In fact . . . as she was sharing with our house church family last night about her week, her eyes were just glowing with the light of the Lord.  She had such a peace, clarity, and vision for her future.  I am giving God the glory for that!  Only HE could have done such a quick work. 

Surprisingly . . . college girl wanted to go to the christian bookstore and get a new study bible.  So off we went to look at Bibles.  While there, a few other college girls came up and started talking with us.  They began sharing about their experience in christian college, and how wonderful it was.  In fact, my college girl was so impressed that she asked to look at the campus of the particular school addressed.  We immediately made an appointment and toured the campus.  At the end she felt so much peace, and placed it top on her list of schools to attend.  WOW!

This wasn't just about her being open to attending a christian university, it was about following God's destiny for her life, and not the world's destiny.  God says in Habakkuk 2:2-3, "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay." 

 Having God's vision for our children's future is imperative. We must be patient and wait for this vision to be made known not only to us, but to the ones in which it is to be given.  With vision comes hope.  With hope, comes faith, with faith comes power to overcome, and see that vision manifest in the physical realm.  Placing God first, even in education, will do this. Matthew 6:33 says "But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

God you are amazing, and I just want to thank and praise you for the testimony you are giving to our sweet college girl, and the peace and direction for her life.

<>< Kelly