Lessons learned over half a decade...

This week, I started my first clinical. I can't believe I just wrote that very sentence. The thought of me finishing 5 years of school is pretty unbelievable to me especially the fact that I survived by the skin of my teeth most of the time. I'm not ashamed or afraid to admit it. I like to believe God was keeping me in check, reminding me that it's only through His grace and His will that I came out of the battle zone without any scars. However, going through the challenge of a rigorous program has pushed me in ways that being anywhere else would not have. In this post, I'd like to learn the lessons I've learned over the past 5 years so that I can have something to look back on and remind myself....and hopefully anyone whose reading this will be encouraged by.

YEAR ONE:
Choose Your Friends Wisely.
Before beginning college, I remember getting advised to pray for good friends. It seemed like a wise proposition so I took the advice to heart and acted on it. I prayed that God would give me company who wouldn't pressure me to participate in anything I was convicted not to do. God delivered. While going through college, friends are who you spent a lot of time with. Where they go, you end up going, what they do, you might end up doing. It's a good idea to surround yourself with company who will accept you as you are and will understand when you do not want to participate in something you feel is wrong or just not for you. Even when my friends went to places I didn't want to go to, I searched for activities I could do on my own or with another set of people. Especially while being away from home, I had the choice to use my freedom wisely or not so wisely. So if I had to choose one out of the many lessons I learned during my first year of college, it's the choice to pray and seek out good company.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

YEAR TWO:
It's a hard knock life as a commuter...so plan ahead.
I commuted for the first 3 years of college. School wasn't too far away but during rush hour, a commute that would usually be around 25 minutes could take up to an hour. The drive to the city and back from school would be almost as draining as taking an exam....almost. I learned how to weave in and out of traffic and pedestrians but what still makes me quiver each time I drive into the city would be....BIKERS. There's some bikers who just don't know how to ride on the road, running stop signs and turning without warning. I would often wait at school for traffic to die down. It was tough knowing that I had to wake up 2 hours before my friends had to and leave when they were going to hang out together. It was imperative that I planned ahead what books/folders/meals I needed to take with my in the morning because if I forgot something, well, there's no getting it till the next day (and believe me I forgot things which is why I'm saying the importance of planning ahead.) I was the kid walking across campus with a camper's backpack full of books and my meal for the day. Looking back, it was pretty funny, but I learned that I just had to do what I had to do. I learned how to pump gas, pay for gas, keep the car clean and what NOT to do when the car engine overheats...but that's a story for another day.

YEAR THREE:
Obey God and trust Him with the consequences.
I heard that quote in a message several years ago. My third year of college is when this principle showed true. I was on the verge of failing a class, I needed every point possible. Of course, me being me, I fell asleep early and missed taking a quiz that was due at 11pm. I woke up to my mom telling me to go sleep on the bed instead of on the floor. I realized that it was 2 am and I had missed my quiz. I couldn't go back to sleep, I felt terrible, irresponsible and scared. When my mom left for work at 4 am, I drove to school (yes, that early...did I mention I was on the verge of failing a class?)...I asked a security guard to open a building and I sat outside the professors office till 7 am thinking up of what lie or story I could possible say for her to give me another chance at the quiz. (I had heard that this professor was one tough cookie). As I pondered a grand lie which she could poke no hole in, I was reminded of David and Bathsheba. One sin led to another which led to something bigger which ended up in people dying. I knew that if I said this grand lie today, I would have to keep lying. When the professor arrived at her office, I prayed, "Lord, I'm going to obey You and trust You with the consequences." I told the professor that I fell asleep before taking the quiz and I thought it was only fair to let her know the truth about what happened. Thankfully, she showed me mercy and let me take the quiz. Even if she didn't, I'm sure the principle still stands: Obey God and trust Him with the consequences.


Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

YEAR FOUR:
Prayer changes things.
After being so close to failing in the previous year and forgetting things at home, my long commutes and just feeling burnt out, I was presented with the opportunity to live with a roommate on campus. The idea of talking to my parents about moving out to a college that's 25 minutes away (without traffic of course) and living with a complete stranger (who was referred to me by a friend) seemed like a fruitless notion. But, I took the risk and decided to ask my parents on a certain Monday. A big resounding NO was the answer I received when I brought up the idea/suggestion/request to them. I stated all my reasons behind the thought/suggestion/request in a respectful, logical, and reasonable manner. But they both repeated....NO. I had to give a final answer to this prospective roommate in a couple days. So I looked at my parents and said, why don't you both pray about it and let me know by Thursday. I decided to pray that God would show me if this is what He wanted me to do and since He placed my parents as an authority in my life, if they said yes after earnestly praying then I would take it as an okay from God and if they said no after praying, I would take it as a no from God. Thursday rolled around. After family prayer, I brought the topic up again. My parents response: "We prayed about it and we decided that it's up to you. We will support you if you choose to live at school or stay at home." I stood there stunned....then I looked up and asked God, "Really God? I asked for a yes being a yes and a no meaning a no." I like to think God wanted me to really think about if I wanted to do this. I chose to live on campus for the last two years of school and let's just say I know God wanted me to. I'm glad the Lord showed me how imperfect I am and how my job is just to share the truth of what a perfect God did for us humans to my roommates. Lessons learned through the experience of living with strangers is for another day as well. But if I had to choose one lesson, it is that prayer changes things.

Phillipians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

YEAR FIVE:
Sometimes for the greater good, sacrifices must be made.
Ever since third year of college I was almost always on the verge of failing something. This year was no different. I was on the verge of failing 2 classes in my last year of sitting in classes. Yes, I am not ashamed to say that however far I got in college and will get in life is all by God's grace and hopefully me following wherever He wants me to be. I'm not smart or anything super. This is also not a "put-down Jerry" session I'm having for myself. I'm simply just reminding myself that I am whatever I am today because of God's love, mercy and grace and I accept that. Because I had to get my act together in regards to course work, I had to cut out a lot of things. Missing family events, friend get-togethers, church conferences and events made me so sad and I was often left wondering if this is worth it all. Whatever the case, I knew that God placed me at that school and if I was going to make it through, I needed to focus and do my part.

YEAR SIX: has just begun and I know there'll be many lessons I learn during this next year. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe I'll even start blogging more now that classes are over.........maybe. #lazyblogger.