I have a 10 page group proposal and a 30 minute group biomechanics presentation due within a week of each other. I also have 3 finals. It's a lot to think about, but there have been so many things to happen over the last few weeks that have put this all into perspective.
It's no secret that I am student at East Carolina University and that I love my school. Yesterday there was a threat to my university and we went into lockdown for almost 3 hours. I was unaware of this lockdown (sometimes emails delay coming to my phone), so I got up and got ready for school just like any other day. I arrived on campus at about 10:45 to catch the bus for my 11:00 class. I noticed, however, that the buses were in the parking lot, but not letting anyone on or off. So, I decided to sit on the bench and wait for them to figure out whatever was wrong. I'm sitting there by some nice stranger, just talking to him, when my phone goes off. I look at a new email stating that there has been an armed man walking down 5th street, one of the streets that run by campus. I look at the guy and ask him if he had heard about this. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "No." Right after he said that a door opens up from the basketball arena, right behind the bus stop. A girl sticks her head out and says, "you two know the buses aren't coming, right?" I shook my head no. She then said, "we're on lockdown, you may want to come inside." Needless to say, the kind stranger and myself put a pep in our step and got inside quickly. There were many people sitting in the cafe in the arena and I didn't really want to stand up because my legs were awfully sore from the previous day's workout. I found a chair by this older, well dressed man. I had a feeling that he held some high position in the school, but wasn't exactly sure who he was or what he did. So I sat down and started talking to him. We were on our phones trying to collect information from main campus on whether a gunman had been identified. After talking for about an hour, he asks me and a few people at our table what our majors were. I was the only Health Fitness Specialist major sitting at the table. He looks at me and introduces himself as the Dean of HHP (my college). After shaking the shock that I had been talking to the Dean off, I shook his hand and continued our conversation. A guy from my department came up to him and asked him if their meeting was still scheduled with the lock down, the Dean told him that it would still be happening. He then looks at me and invites me to his conference room with a few other students to have pizza and discuss some things. I thought that maybe he was just being nice since the guy mentioned it in front of me, so I didn't think much of it.
Well, after all of the rumors and freak outs of the lock down ended, the police lifted the lock down after finding that the "gunman" was indeed carrying an umbrella. Poor guy, he was just trying to be prepared for the 30% chance of rain yesterday and caused a lock down.
Be careful, folks, "gunbrellas" can be extremely dangerous.
Anyway, after leaving the school that I had been locked in for 3 hours, I decided to go to Target to walk off some stress and of course get a new cardigan ( of course on sale... whoop whoop)!! As I was headed back home from the store, I looked at the clock and it said 2:30. I knew the Dean's meeting was at 3, but I still wasn't convinced that I should go. I wanted to, but I was tired and had group meetings and a workout later in the evening. I drove past his office headed home when I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to turn the car around and go back. I decided being obedient would be best, so I turned the car around, parked and walked towards the Dean's office. I was nervous, I had never been there before and I had no idea what kind of meeting this was. As I walk into the conference room, I look around and see only 4 other students there. The Dean stands up, shakes my hand, greets me by name and says, "I'm so glad that you came, what size shirt do you wear?" I was thinking to myself, "free t-shirt AND free pizza?! Who is this guy?! I try not to eat pizza, but if the Dean says eat pizza... then I'm eating it!" I told him my shirt size and he went to his office to get me one. After we all settled into our seats, he finally explained why we were there (although everyone else knew but me). It turns out that professors nominate 4 students each year to be a part of the Dean's Undergraduate Advisory Board, they meet once a semester to discuss issues and gather ideas to improve the College of Health and Human Performance. I was the only student in that room invited personally by the Dean. My mouth wanted to drop as he explained this to me. In my opinion, this is one of the highest honors to receive as an undergraduate, not only that, but it goes on my resume and I can get a recommendation from the Dean. I can not believe it!!
This just goes to show that ALL things, even a gunbrella man causing a university lock down, works together for the good of those who love God. He knew that I would be in my senior year, about to graduate, looking for more things to put on my resume and God appointed this time for me to meet the Dean. I have been dwelling on the verse in Psalm 27 that declares to wait on the Lord... you will see His goodness! Just wait for the Lord!
This is just one of the many things that God has shown favor in my life for over the last few months. This is one more thing confirming that I don't have to worry about my future because He is already there and has every single tiny detail planned out. I can be that Proverbs 31 woman that "laughs at the time to come..." because she knows who holds her future. I know who holds my future. I have nothing to worry about.
I never once want to feel ungrateful for the life that I have. I have so many wonderful things in my life that I should never even think for a second about complaining or wishing something was different. I am alive, I am healthy, I am getting a top-notch education and I have an amazing family. Even if I didn't have all of those things, I still have my sweet Savior, who loved me enough to die for me. Even if I were the only person on the earth, He would still die for me. That's crazy to think about, huh?
The other good news... He holds your future too. Give Jesus your WHOLE heart. He will protect it, cherish it and guide it.
