This series of posts has been a long time coming. Today, I want to take a look back at my freshman year at UT and how God used it to shape me.
To update you all, I graduated college back in May from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelors in English with a Double Concentration in Literature and Rhetoric & Writing and a minor in Judaic Studies. It's hard to believe even now as I type it. It went by so quick.
It feels like just yesterday I moved into my dorm, a bit worried if I could really move out of my parents' house. I knew I was taking a real leap of faith, and I knew that God had called me there. Looking back, I am SO thankful the Lord gave me the faith and the peace I needed to step out and live on campus freshman year. It was truly life changing in the best ways possible. Some of the best times of my life were spent in Brown 431.
I spent countless nights laughing with my besties, Skyler and Keerthana. We made silly videos, blasted music, and had some deep talks, too. We went to Cru, the Walk, Turkey Creek, the movies, football games, basketball games (just me and Skyler though), honors program events, and of course, to the dining hall. Stokely pizza will forever have a place in my heart.
When I think about what God taught me my freshman year, the biggest thing that comes to mind is dependency on Him. Living away from home, I couldn't immediately turn to my parents, and in turn, I learned how to turn to my Father first. I think so much of my life when I was worried about something, I relied on my parents to fix that worry for me, but as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am called to go to Him first with everything. God knew I needed to be away from my parents in order to learn that lesson completely, and my freshman year, I felt such a closeness with God that I hadn't really before. Of course, I had a relationship with Him before then, but that leap of faith brought me even closer to Him.
Now, as I move back home, I realize I need to continue to carry this lesson with me, to keep taking everything to Jesus first (even when mom and dad are just down the hall).
Looking back on my freshman year of college, no doubt it wasn't perfect, but still, it was a year filled with the presence of God. It was a year of God showing me many areas in my walk with Him that I could grow in. It was a year of dependency on God. It was a year of dorm room Instagram stories and dining hall tater tots. It's a year I will forever thank God for.
If you are starting college this upcoming fall, I pray that if you know Jesus, you continue to walk with Him and let Him teach and grow you in college, and if you don't know Jesus, I pray you find Him in college. Walking with Him is the best way to do it.
My day one buddies at my graduation party with our orange gear because Go Vols of course.
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." Proverbs 16:9 KJV.
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