I think I can safely say that my first semester of university looked quite different than I had imagined. I didn’t physically meet a single classmate or professor. I didn’t once set foot on campus. I didn’t once have a seat in a classroom. I never even made it onto my August 25th flight into LAX. Despite all of these unexpected realities, the Lord used this semester to teach me more academically and spiritually than I could have hoped.

After spending all my years of schooling as an online student, this semester really didn’t look much different than the last twelve years of my life. I wake up, wash my face, grab some coffee, sit down at my desk, and open my laptop for class. All very normal for me, all very routine. The difference between this semester and my last twelve years of school is the amount of excitement that came with opening my laptop this time around. Even though I was sitting in the same place, doing essentially the same thing, I was filled with a new excitement and anticipation… I truly LOVED my classes this semester.

Even though I wasn’t physically sitting in a classroom, I was able to develop relationships with multiple professors and classmates. This made me so grateful for a school that is doing their best to make this semester good for their students in the midst of so much disappointment.

Along with teaching me academically this semester, the Lord has taught me so much more about Himself!

I have worked through some of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do in my life throughout the course of this semester. The weight of those difficult circumstances combined with a full load of coursework and a job proved to be quite heavy. But before this, I have never known the faithfulness of the Lord in the ways I have this semester. He has continuously revealed to me in the midst of disappointment after disappointment that He is good, that He never disappoints and never will.

In the midst of the loss of community, new experiences, my first semester of university and all that comes with it, and more… He has proven Himself so, so good to me. His goodness does not depend on my circumstance. His faithfulness does not depend on my daily disappointments. He sees us. He sympathizes with us. He gets us. And He is good. Always.

While it is true that I learned a lot academically this semester and was only made more excited for my coming years at Biola… I believe the most valuable thing I have gained throughout the course of this semester is a larger understanding of who He is and a new ability to surrender what I hold dear to Him.

I cannot wait to learn more throughout my coming semesters at Biola… more about the world, literature, the sciences… But most importantly, I cannot wait to learn more about the ever faithful and perfectly good Lord that we serve. I have no doubt that there will be ample opportunities for this kind of learning during my next few years at Biola.

Join me if you’d like ;)

Molly