The past year of my life has been one of the best, but looking back on it, it has also been pretty crazy. After living in the same house for all 18 years of my life, I moved five hours away to a different state. I went from being an only child to sharing a room with someone who was practically a stranger. After having my lunchbox packed by mom everyday for 12 years, I was suddenly living on my own. When you look at college this way, it seems like a total setup for disaster. Fortunately for me, though, it wasn’t, and there’s a very simple explanation for this. Although I was away from home and living on my own, I was never actually alone. God was with me every second of every day, and He taught me some pretty valuable lessons along the way:

The True Meaning of Confidence

I always used to think that confidence was all about how you viewed yourself, that being confident meant being proud of who you are and believing that you’re good enough. While this is definitely true, I’ve learned that this is only part of a bigger picture. Hebrews 10:35 explains this to us by saying, “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!” In order to be confident in yourself, you must first be confident in the Lord and trust that he will not fail you or let you down.

Perseverance Pays Off

As it turns out, college classes are pretty hard, and sometimes it seemed like it would have been a lot easier to just give up (especially when it came to calculus). However, Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” I found a lot of comfort in this verse because it reminded me that I could not only do whatever I put my mind too, but that I didn’t have to do it alone. This knowledge not only helped me to pass calculus but also continues to help me in my everyday life when things get tough.

He’s There to Comfort Me

God doesn’t want his children to be anxious or worried, instead, He wants us to come to Him and to ask for help. I’ve discovered that by simply telling the Lord about my problems, an immense weight is lifted off of my shoulders. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” It still amazes me that an action so simple can provide so much relief.

He Has a Plan

As a child going to Sunday School, I was always told that when you ask God for something, He gives you one of three answers, “Yes,” “No,” or “Not Right Now.” I tend to get discouraged when the answer is “Not Right Now” because I don’t like that I have no way of knowing when God might answer my prayer. I’ve learned, though, that God really does have a plan for my life and, as Jeremiah 29:11 says, “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Although it’s still tough for me when God doesn’t answer, “Yes” right away, I have hope and proof that I just need to be patient.