Hey hey! Thank you for reading today's blog post! This is the last of the "What God has been doing" in the lives of some people I asked to share. This one is extra special, because I asked my twin to share! She's a freshman at UGA too, and I don't know what I would do without her spontaneity or reasoning this year or my whole life. After reading her response, I'm convinced she should start her own blog, but until then I'll keep asking her to write for mine again!! She's kinda drowning in midterms right now, but she still made time to write this for y'all, so feel free to give her a shout out or something, because this post is so good. This is what God has been doing in Abby's life recently:
I know I am not alone when I say that this past year has not been at all what I expected. I tend to be anxious about things little and big, but for some reason I never worried about what my life would be like in college. I had been looking forward to being a college student for so long that I just assumed it would be like I imagined it. You know, I would just show up to a Wesley service, meet my friends for life, and every day would be a sunrise and coffee kind of day with the music up and windows down. Well, I did not realize that it would be kind of hard to meet people when you sit 6 feet apart from everyone with a mask on. Simply stated, I felt lonely and desperate for community my first few months at UGA. However, I would not think about changing my experience for one second, because I 100% believe God does not make mistakes. So, here is a few things God has taught me, and what I have seen him do:
1. You will know God’s voice when you do life with Him. In John 8:31-32, Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Then, in John 10:27-28 He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
During the time I was lonely, and all I could do was cling to God, I did not know how this faithfulness would bless me so soon. There were two clear times that I heard God during my first semester, but it took me a while to see it was God answering my desperate prayers. Both times, I was in bed, anxious about going to an event, so I basically decided I would not go. And both times, I heard God tell me, “Abby. You will not regret getting out of bed and just showing up.” So, I did just that and met two of my best friends that I probably would not have met otherwise, and they have been such a blessing to this day (shoutout to Kirby and Kayla!!). At the time, I did not know they would become such great friends, but I kept reaching out to them because I felt God keep nudging me saying “You won’t regret it”.
2. God has placed you in this time for a reason. God is a God of specificity and intention. God created everything in this whole world. If you just look at a flower, look at all of the intricate beautiful details. Or a sunrise over the beach. Or a sunset over the hills. God created that. If God puts so much intention into a little flower, how much more intention did he put into creating our lives? We are not accidents, but we are here in this specific time, place, and period in history for a reason. God has shown me this by weaving passions in me since I was born and given me the people and experiences that have led me to exactly where I am today. Here is just one example: if I had not overheard about Terror Buddies my freshman year (a club where high school students hang out with special needs students), would I have set out to volunteer at Extra Special People Inc. at UGA? ESP has been the highlight of my time at college! Thank the Lord he made sure I got there. Therefore, when I am constantly looking forward to my future, God is reminding me there is intention and specificity in where I am now. I am learning to take life day by day and just enjoy the newness every morning brings.
3. Pray the promise, not the problem. I heard this in a podcast just last week, and it has literally changed me. Just looking back at my prayers in my journal, I see me focusing on my problems. I had been honest with God, and I did ask God for help; yet my prayers did not seem hopeful. I was not praying the promise, and I sounded hopeless. So, that day I wrote out my prayers, saying what I believed and what I knew God would do. “God, I will no longer feel ashamed of my sins because you have cleansed me and called me Yours.” “God, You will not let these anxious thoughts take hold of me because You have placed in me the power of the Holy Spirit who will renew my mind and give me peace.” How much more life-giving does this prayer sound than “God, I am so anxious please give me peace” ? Ever since I have started praying in this new way, I don’t know how to describe what I am feeling other than I just feel free. I feel the freedom of God, and it’s because I am living in His promises, not my problems.
In Romans 4, Paul wrote about Abraham’s faith in the promise of God. You can read the whole section in verses 13-25, but here is part of it: “In hope, he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”
There is so much more that God has taught me and done in my life this year, and I am sure you have some stories too! Reflecting on where I was and where I am now has really helped me see God’s hand on my life. Something I have been praying a lot is “let me become more aware of your goodness, your signs, and your presence”. Because God is there with us every step of the way, we just have to take our eyes off ourselves and look up!
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