Learning from the Past

This semester I went through more hell than ever. As a matter of fact, I went through the sort of hell I expected to go through over the course of 5 YEARS; not 4 months. In the midst of it all, God kept me.

At one point I had a choice to pay attention to the people who were talking about me, hating me, slandering my name, and those who were just leaving my side and abandoning our friendship OR I could choose to keep my eyes on Christ. When it seemed my campus life was crashing all around God came in and reminded me that I could either pay attention to my circumstances or give Him the praise and do my schoolwork. I chose the latter. And you know what? When I chose to do that I could walk into a room filled with all the snakes and dogs who tried to take me down and not even notice them. I could walk my campus with my head up and not worry about the spiteful glances I was receiving. I busied myself with my purpose and filled my head with God's Word and that changed my view of my environment.

And now looking back, I am so pleased that God saved me from the possible damnation of my future. If I would have concentrated on MAN, I would be screwed now. I received two A's, two B's, and one C+ this semester (my hardest classes sofar), and I praise God for His faithfulness! He set my eyes on the road ahead and I bypassed distractions, thanks to Him guiding me.

I learned even MORE this semester about my faith. I have learned that God is not just some distant entity that does good things and stands silent in the background as I go through life's daily blunders. He actually cares for me and about the dicisions I make everyday that can either bring me closer to Him or take me further from Him. I have heard His voice telling me to choose against the wrong and to do what is right. I've never felt this way in my entire life about my faith because God was never this interactive to me. But this semester was different: I felt God's intervention when man tampered with me with their hateful words, threatening text messages, assaulting FB emails, and derogatory gossip. God stepped between them and I and sheilded me from detrimental distraction that would have knocked my focus and caused me to fall.

As for the LORD's vengeance? I haven't felt it necessary to keep track of it (Come on, like you wouldn't like to!), but I feel that it's in the form of me not giving people the glory of me suffering from their foolishness towards me. I give God the praise for trusting me to go through hell, knowing I would turn around and praise and worship Him for the persecution I was undergoing for standing up for Him. I count it all joy.

Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
-Ps 119:69-71

Praise the Lord.

Chimene