My First Faith Experience/ College Faith 0

At the age of eighteen I had my first opportunity to exercise my faith.

I had spent a year and a half in a traditional college.  I heard God call me and say that because I longed for him so much and wanted to learn more of him, I could go to a bible college.  This was a revelation to me!  I had never though of attending a school where I could earn a degree while studying the Bible and the things of God.  I earnestly prayed about it and felt compelled to go, but I didn’t realize there would be a glitch in the road. My parents said that they would not support that decision financially.  The school was accredited and the degree legitimate, however, they decided to not pay for it.

This, of course, left me in a challenging position; no money and no ability to get financial aid. I wouldn’t be eligible for assistance for 2 years.  There was, nothing to help and I needed $8,000 on day one, if I was to attend this school.  Did I mention, that I lived in Michigan and the school was in Seattle, Washington?  Basically, the furthest point I could go in the continental US.

Now, let me point out that there were multiple bible schools between MI and WA.  But this was the specific school that God identified for me to attend.  So, I had two choices, return to my current university, continue the path that I had chosen and yes, loved.  Or step out by faith to the school I felt compelled to go, where God’s voice was calling me, and where I believed he would meet me.

At age 18, with no support, I chose the latter.

I chose to walk by faith.

This was one of the most significant choices of my life.  Everything that I have come to know about God or experienced with him since has stemmed from this one decision.

The plan was set, and of course, the next step should be to get a great job and save up over the summer, right?  Wrong!  God specifically told me not to get a job but rather to go work in an urban area and do children’s ministry there.  Everything in me screamed against this.  Please let me work!! Let me get a Job because I must figure out how to pay for this!!  But instead he said, “I will bring it to pass” and made me go minister instead.

Yes, I struggled.  Yes, it was a daily challenge, because everything I knew to do was not the thing I felt compelled to do but I also had decided.  If God bothered to direct my steps, I would see where they led.  So, I did ministry (and begged God to let me work, lol) Finally, about a month before I had to leave he told me it was okay to work, and I got a job at a local fast food restaurant.  With that money I bought my one-way ticket.

I was in constant communication with the school and had an advisor, so I knew I had to have tuition paid before I could come to school, but the Lord kept telling me it would be fine.  The night before I was to leave, it felt that all of hell had decided to attack me.

“What are you doing?”

“You don’t have money?”

“You fool, something terrible can happen to you out there!”

The taunts continued, and the doubts flooded my head.  I had known for sure all summer this was the way to go, despite any family’s opposition. But the night before I was under attack.

I received a phone call that night from a dear friend who attended the old school I was leaving.  I was sad when I saw it was him because I assumed he was calling to tell me to return. We had been talking marriage at one time, so I figured I knew exactly what he would say.  But he shocked me.  He said,

“Whatever is not of faith is sin,” (Romans 14:23)

“If you come back and he is telling you to go, you will be sinning against him”.  That was just what I needed to hear, from an unexpected source, to boost my faith and get me through the night.

The next morning was a rainy, gray, miserable looking day.  There was tension leaving for the airport.  I was mocked and told I would be coming right back, some even refused to send me off with a hug.  But at that point, I was determined to see where God was going to take me.  I had decided to follow Jesus, so I had peace.

When I arrived in Seattle, unlike the normal, greyish, rainy weather I had heard that normally dominated the city, I was met with a beautiful, sunny, 75-degree day.  It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.  It was literally the emerald city and it was if God was taking me from a grey, washed out place, to a beautiful, sunny place, in his will.  The significance wasn’t lost on me! But I still only had a few hundred dollars in my pocket.  My job had afforded me a plane ticket and enough for some books but nothing for tuition.

When I arrived at school, they were placing us in dorms.  When I got in line, I told the lady I wanted a single, (which cost the most) and she put me in a fabulous one, with a mountain view, on the top floor. I was placed in the newest dorm on campus, only reserved for upperclassmen, even though I wasn’t one technically.  It made no sense, especially because I hadn’t even paid my bill.  But it was a lovely room.

On registration day, I showed up, ready to face the dreaded registrar and cashier, because this is where everything had to be paid in full.  As I approached the counter, I didn’t have anywhere close to $8,000.  I had a few hundred, at best.  When I got to the counter, she gave me the bill and I told her I only had a few hundred today…and she took it and gave me a bill saying I need to pay it off before the semester ended!  No one every said this was an option!  They always specifically insisted that all tuition must be paid in full before you could enroll classes!  But somehow because of God’s favor; God made a way for me.

Now, surely, I could go work and make money to pay for this bill, right?  No!

The Lord told me to focus on school and not look for a job.  I was so frustrated.  I wanted to work.  I was willing to make it happen because of the grace he had already given but I knew I could not.  So, I got settled in to school and my routine.  I struggled over not working for about 6 weeks and finally one Saturday God told me “okay, today, go get your job!”

I was so excited, finally, I could go and get a job.  I took the bus to the local mall because I assumed that there would be so many options there that I would be sure to find something.  I spent the whole day looking and nothing felt right.  I left and was a bit blue by the end of the day because I hadn’t found a job.  When I returned to the dorm, I went to check my mail and look at the bulletin board and a job had just been posted.  No one had even torn off any of the phone number tabs at the bottom but me.  I called them, and they asked me to come right over.

I got the job.  The day it posted. The day he told me to go get one. Precision!

It was in a beautiful multimillion dollar home on Lake Washington doing home health care and light housekeeping for a family with an invalid mother.  The house was absolutely, beautiful; the family wonderfully, lovely.  A real treat to work with; plus, they paid well, above minimum wage.

They also gave me a car to use while in Seattle, so I wouldn’t have to catch the bus.

The Lord had made a way out of no way, because I dared to trust him.

God got me in College… by faith.

Put me in a beautiful single, in the best dorm…by faith.

Placed me in a wonderful job…by faith.

Gave me a wonderful family to work with, in a multimillion dollar home, on the lake…by faith.

Gave me a car to drive while I was there…by faith.

Allowed me to study his word…by faith.

Blessed me with new friends…by faith.

Gave me a new church family…by faith.

Blessed me with another family, that invited me over every Sunday after church for dinner…by faith.

All these things happened in my first experience with God.  Little did I know he had so much more in store for me!

Isaiah 46:11 “I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”