Finally....

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 145:21

I spent my Sunday, my day of rest, studying ancient Africa and India for my history class. While I was studying, my laptop music was on shuffle. Shane and Shane sort of dominate my hard drive, so I was not surprised when lots of their songs played in those 6 hours of study. But, when Burn Us Up, from their Pages cd played, I just had to stop and sit and meditate on what true faith looks like. The song, a musical rendition of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3), talks of the unwavering faith that these three men had in the LORD, even in the face of death. My favorite part of the story/song, when they stand up to King Nebuchadnezzar and tell him that they will not bow down to his golden image, they will gladly face a fiery furnace for the glory of the LORD Almighty. And they trusted that He would deliver them. BUT, they go on to tell the king that even if God did not deliver them, it would not matter.

You see, this is one of my favorite stories in the Bible because it is so realistic. The guys knew that God had the power to deliver them from the fire, but that He was not obligated to do so. If it would bring honor to Him, they would gladly burn for His namesake. How cool is that?! That, my friends, is faith at its finest!! And that example of faith is what got me through meeting after meeting this past week regarding my academic future. I have been in several meetings over the past few days regarding clearance for graduation in May, and with each additional meeting and more and more red tape, I had to continually remind myself that God is still God and He still sits on His throne, regardless of whether I get cleared or not. He is sovereign and has a perfect plan. And, it was with GREAT JOY that I met with my advisor yesterday afternoon and, finally, after years of struggle and hard work, I filled out my diploma application and received clearance to graduate from Auburn University on May 14, 2010!!! (I smiled so much yesterday that it hurt, but I just kept on!!)

Now comes time for reflection. I look back over the past few years at Auburn and, honestly, I don't know that I would change a thing. Yes, I have struggled in ways that most college students don't. Yes, it has been a long haul. Yes, I think I have worked longer and harder for this degree than it should take. BUT, JESUS is sweeter to my now than he ever would have been. I have grown, in more ways than I have adjectives to explain. He has shown me things these years that I would absolutely have missed if I had not worked so hard and struggled so much. He is good. Has has shown me that time and time again. He provides for my needs, and indulges my wants, and He has proven that over and over. Praise the LORD for the past few years. It is by His grace alone that I have made it this far. He upholds me, and because of that reason alone, I will finish strong! The LORD is gracious to me. Thank you Jesus! God is good!!