"Why Indiana?" If I could have a nickel for every time I've been asked this, I would have some good chump change. It's been a common question in my life since I applied for Bethel College back in the early days of spring. "I'm going back to college!" I would tell people, and amongst all the obvious and appropriate questions you are suppose to ask an outbound college student, inevitably the question, "Where?" would surface. I became quite accustomed to the look of slight shock that would arise with my answer. "Indiana? Why Indiana?"
And, so, the opening to my saga is presented. I love to tell the story of, "Why Indiana?" because it has opened the doors of witnessing for me a time or two.
Early in the year I began to pray and ask the Lord, "Ok, I know I'm suppose to go back to college, but where?"
He asked me, "Well, what do you want in a college?"
"I want to go to a college, one that is not just Christian but encourages a relationship with you, I want to continue in nursing but also pursue sign language, I want the opportunity to play volleyball."
He answered, "Look for that, because I have prepared a place for you and you will know it when you find it."
And.....off I went to find "My" college. Man, I did not realize what I was asking for. For days and days I searched, pouring over websites, college databases, and religious reviews. "Here's one," I thought, "Surely, this is 'My' college." Nope, no nursing program. How bout this one? Nope, no ASL program. This one? No volleyball........and so the search continued, with nothing meeting my criteria. "Ok, Lord," I thought, "I'll settle, here's a Christian college with everything except volleyball, that will be ok."
But in that moment, I knew that God was telling me not to settle, that He was not ok with that. He spoke to me and said, "Hannah, tell me your dreams and believe that I will fulfill them."
I surrendered whole heartedly to His instructions and opened up my dreams to His will. It was scary, because I've always guarded my dreams closely, figuring that if anybody touched them that my dreams would die. I realized that I had even guarded them from God, believing that He wouldn't care about my desires. The process was painful, letting Him into every little part of my dream corner, telling Him about my desires and plans. In the end I could feel Him smiling at me and reassuring me that He had designed me as a dreamer and that He desired to see my dreams come true in His timing. His reassurance of His love and delight in me was overwhelming. It's a lesson I won't forget.
How did I end up at Bethel, in Indiana? My only answer is God's direction. In an act of desperation I typed, Christian college, RN-BSN, ASL program, Woman's volleyball team, into my google search bar, knowing that my search phrase was too long to yield any pertinent results. But, among the sea of non related results, Bethel College surfaced as the first, and only, relevant result. When I opened the link, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was the place God had prepared for me. His peace and grace was so complete and has continued beyond applying to the college, including providing for me financially.
And, so, the opening to my saga is presented. I love to tell the story of, "Why Indiana?" because it has opened the doors of witnessing for me a time or two.
Early in the year I began to pray and ask the Lord, "Ok, I know I'm suppose to go back to college, but where?"
He asked me, "Well, what do you want in a college?"
"I want to go to a college, one that is not just Christian but encourages a relationship with you, I want to continue in nursing but also pursue sign language, I want the opportunity to play volleyball."
He answered, "Look for that, because I have prepared a place for you and you will know it when you find it."
And.....off I went to find "My" college. Man, I did not realize what I was asking for. For days and days I searched, pouring over websites, college databases, and religious reviews. "Here's one," I thought, "Surely, this is 'My' college." Nope, no nursing program. How bout this one? Nope, no ASL program. This one? No volleyball........and so the search continued, with nothing meeting my criteria. "Ok, Lord," I thought, "I'll settle, here's a Christian college with everything except volleyball, that will be ok."
But in that moment, I knew that God was telling me not to settle, that He was not ok with that. He spoke to me and said, "Hannah, tell me your dreams and believe that I will fulfill them."
I surrendered whole heartedly to His instructions and opened up my dreams to His will. It was scary, because I've always guarded my dreams closely, figuring that if anybody touched them that my dreams would die. I realized that I had even guarded them from God, believing that He wouldn't care about my desires. The process was painful, letting Him into every little part of my dream corner, telling Him about my desires and plans. In the end I could feel Him smiling at me and reassuring me that He had designed me as a dreamer and that He desired to see my dreams come true in His timing. His reassurance of His love and delight in me was overwhelming. It's a lesson I won't forget.
How did I end up at Bethel, in Indiana? My only answer is God's direction. In an act of desperation I typed, Christian college, RN-BSN, ASL program, Woman's volleyball team, into my google search bar, knowing that my search phrase was too long to yield any pertinent results. But, among the sea of non related results, Bethel College surfaced as the first, and only, relevant result. When I opened the link, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was the place God had prepared for me. His peace and grace was so complete and has continued beyond applying to the college, including providing for me financially.
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