The Hill

THIS WEEK was my second week of college, and I'm relaxing at home while I visit for a couple days. College is a big challenge and a lot of fun at the same time. God is answering my prayers for the right Christian group, and I think I will meet the right church soon too. I'm already a part of a Life Group and making a lot of new friends.

During the week I stay really busy, and it's not always easy. I've gotten lost a couple times, and I spend hours in the studio working on homework. To be honest, there are moments when I get really frustrated and just want to be asleep or go home. But I find I never want to give up. I don't want to change my mind and do something easier. I think it's because God's peace is staying with me, telling me that this is what is necessary right now.

I remember one of my favorite places in the Word: Philippians 4:6-7 "[6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I'm studying architecture, and my Design class involves a lot of interesting but time-consuming work in the studio. I love it, but a lot goes through my mind when I'm sitting there working for hours at a time. Do I really want to do this? Can I do it? Will I have any real friends in architecture? Where are all the cute boys? How much longer will this glue take to dry?

I'm loving college, but I get tired thinking all of these things, and countless other things. But I'm never overwhelemed because I'm never alone.

On a hard day of class I read a great verse, Proverbs 12:1 "Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates instruction is stupid." How's that for a reason to keep trying?

Here's a brief lesson from college: every hill has two sides. My room mate Sarah has a lot of fun riding her bike between classes, and she tells me about the hills. There are more in Gainesville than in Jacksonville. She says it's a real pain to climb the hills on a bike, but on the other side it's a thrill to just glide down without peddling.

I think life works the same way. Not everything can be easy. But not everything will be hard. You know that if you climb the hill God calls you to, there will be a downhill side sometime. He wants to bless us. I've found that the point of the tough times is to teach us to trust Him. To trust that He knows best, and to trust that He can fulfill His promises.

My youth pastor spoke this morning at church about trusting in God's promises. Can we trust Him even when it doesn't look possible for His promise to come true? Can we do what Abraham did?

As an old man he rejected the chance to be fabulously wealthy and believed instead in God's promise for his future. He had no children and feared another would inherit his place. But God disagreed.

Genesis 15:4-6 "[4] And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: 'This man will not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.' [5] And He brought him outside and said, 'Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.' Then He said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' [6] And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness."

It's hard to trust God with everything. It's easier to be like Job and question His ability. Isn't it better to handle things ourselves? But God tells us that He, who manages the universe, knows better than we do, and even Job repented of his doubt. Job 42:3 "'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." God honored his repentence and humility and "blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning."

Is there really a guy/girl out there for you? Will all your hard work in school pay off? Will you have what you need? In Matthew 6:33 Jesus answers the hard questions, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." We will probably have to go uphill for a while, and as long as we are climbing the other side will seem to be out of our view. But we have faith in God for the joy of riding down the other side.