I am thankful

My story of getting accepted to NSA is apparently pretty rare, and I won't forget it any time soon.

I got my application all sent in to NSA by Valentines Day, and was told that I would hear back from them by June, hopefully. And every day after that in my dad's Rhetoric class, Jeff would ask me, "Did you get accepted yet?" And I always had to say no.
I waited. The school year came to an end, and Jeff said he hoped I would hear back from them over the summer, and hopefully see me in classes come August. I went to Mexico and back, and no word from NSA. I went to Oklahoma and Texas and back. And still no word. June came and went. July came and went. And by now I'd lost all faith in getting accepted. I had been so confident when I sent my application in that I wouldn't be turned away. I'd been hearing rumors by the end of June saying how 54 full time students had been accepted, which left room for about four part timers, and then no room for auditors. Well, two months past the deadline, I knew I was out. I'd had my cry over with long ago, and now was just debating whether to work full time somewhere, or start training as a nurse.
And then, a week before classes were supposed to start, Mrs. Wilson came up to me after church and said she heard I was applying for NSA, and wanted to congratulate me on following in my sisters' footsteps. I was surprised, because I'd applied a long time ago. When I asked how she knew I'd applied, she said it was because my application was reviewed the night before by the committee, and they were now deciding what to do. I pretty much freaked out inside. They had only now got down to my application? I was definitely dead, then.
The next day, exactly a week before orientation, Mrs. Schlect called me and said I had been accepted to the college. I literally screamed over the phone.
So, I barely made it in, and I was so happy to be an NSA student (finally!). Jeff congratulated me when he saw me that Saturday, and I never felt so happy in my life. I am a college student now!

Well, since then, the excitement hasn't worn off, its just becoming normal now. Its finally sunk in that I'm an NSA students after years and years of hoping for it. Its normal to go to NSA for classes, to sit in the library trying to read as fast as possible before math class, to see my fellow students around me, and knowing I'm one of them. I'm not out of place there anymore. Its normal. Its the way things are now.

So really, I have so much to be grateful for, yet just last week I was freaking out about everything and not paying enough attention to just how blessed I am by this. I was worried about having missed the entirety of last term Lordship, and afraid I'd never catch up this term. But that was stupid because last week was only week 1 of the second term. I was wrong to worry about it so early. If I get behind in week 1, there is time to make it up before finals week, seven weeks later. I just need to stick with it and not lose focus on the things I need to do.

This is my calling right now. To be a student, and to glorify God and enjoy Him forever by fulfilling my calling. And I do glorify Him.

I'm so thankful that I was accepted to NSA. I'm so thankful that He gave me the classmates that He did. I'm so thankful for the weekly Friday afternoon trip to Bucers that my girlfriends and I make after Math class. I'm so thankful that He is blessing my classmates and I with the teachers He has given us. I'm so thankful for all the hilarious conversations I've been a part of in the commons room. I'm so thankful for lunches of bread and cheese in Friendship Square with my good friends. I'm so thankful for all the wonderful things the Lord has given me through NSA. Likewise I'm thankful for the flat tire I got on the first day of orientation. I'm thankful that I haven't had the money to buy all the book I need to read, because by borrowing the books from my classmates I become better acquainted with them. I'm thankful for the horrible job I did on my math exam, because now I know what I need to work on this term. I'm thankful for almost being late to Lordship last week.

I'm thankful for everything, the good and the bad. Everything is a blessing from God, no matter what shape or form it takes. I just need to take the time to see it.