When Your Way Isn't The Best Way | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

When Your Way Isn't The Best Way

From a town of 800 to a city of 8,000,000.

3
When Your Way Isn't The Best Way
By His Grace Photography

As a college student in Manhattan, my life is constantly on the go. Sometimes I forget to sit down, be still and reflect over my purpose and why exactly I live in the greatest city in the world. Recently I was asked the question by a dear friend of mine, "Why do you think the Lord has placed you in New York?" As I sat there shuffling through answers in my mind of why, my answer gave me a clearer vision and reminder for how little I know what my future holds. I realized that The Lord is constantly trying to show me how much greater his plans are for my life versus mine. I never planned on moving to New York City for school. As a deep-southerner with a love for my grandparent’s Alma Mater, small towns and the SEC, Auburn University was my goal in life throughout high school. After being accepted senior year, I had my mind set and was on the track to fulfilling my deepest desire to attend there. This self-pursing goal, however, became my deepest struggle. My downfall came when I neglected to put Christ in the picture. After struggling with removing my identity from college and placing it in Christ, I ended up at an academic gap year program in Georgia called Impact 360.

This 9-month leadership and worldview program through Chick-fil-A showed me how a community of vulnerability must be fostered, how to integrate my faith daily in every decision I make and ultimately how to become a better leader through servanthood. Through Impact 360, I became reconnected with The King's College, a school I had known about for years but never once considered and low and behold, here I am.

You see, not being able to attend Auburn University is one of the hardest things I have had to overcome. But as I currently sit in Pine Mountain, Georgia, as a staff member at Impact 360 Institute, I am thankful that the Lord used my brokenness to reveal his faithfulness through my trials, my success and my struggles.

So why am I in New York City? Christ has shown me that though I pictured myself for years moving to a university of 25,000 people, sometimes moving to a small town of 800 will lead me to a city of 8 million. I was pushed into the uncomfortable. I know my ultimate purpose in life is to love God, love people and make disciples. I am in New York City because I want to tell my story. I want to receive a good education. Ultimately, I want to be used to the best of my abilities to serve the Kingdom.

Always stay open to options. Constantly seek to serve those around you. And consistently remain steadfast in the faith.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
39 Traits You Know You Have If You're A Libra
Flickr

If you were born between September 23rd - October 22nd, then you are a Libra. Let's be real, Libras are the best because you are the perfect balance of all things in life. Some may find this boring, but they don't know anything about what it means to be all things at once. As Libras, we hold much on our shoulders that no one can understand. These are traits you know to be true if you are a Libra:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

12 Types Of Drunk Girls You'll See In Every Friend Group

"Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives."

374
friends
Cloud Front

Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives. Each one of you plays a vital role in making sure the night goes (relatively) smoothly.

Keep Reading...Show less
Kardashians
Cosmopolitan.com

Finals week is so rude! So, there's no one better to explain it than the Kardashians themselves!

1. When you look at your finals schedule and become immediately overwhelmed:

2. When your professor says that the final is only going to be short answer questions:

3. When you text your parents to tell them that you're going to have a mental breakdown and drop out of college and they're just like:

4. When you're trying to study with friends, but then you realize that you haven't gotten anything done:

5. Then you just end up going on your phone.

6. When you're two weeks away from finals and your professor tells you that you should probably start studying now:

7. When you sit down to take your final and the first question hits you like:

8. When you start the practice problems and you're just like:

9. When you're in your final and find a question that you actually know the answer to:

10. When that one annoying kid in your class says that the final was super easy and they aced it:

11. When you come back from your 7:30 a.m. final and crash:

12. When your professor tries to teach you new material a week before the final:

13. When you decide to eat away the pain that is finals week by ordering massive amounts of food:

14. Filling out course evaluations for that one difficult professor like:

15. When it's right before your first final and you're just like:

16. When your professor tells that you the final is cumulative:

17. When the kid next to you keeps looking over at your test:

18. Looking back on the outfits that you wore during finals week like:

19. When it's been two hours and you've only gotten through five notecards:

20. When you finally make it to the end of the week:

Lifestyle

10 Signs You Work In A Restaurant

There's always chaos in the restaurant business.

1324
10 Signs You Work In A Restaurant
Brisanis

Working in the restaurant industry is possibly the most fundamentally challenging occupation I have ever experienced when it comes to hospitality and customer service. When you go to a five-star restaurant you expect the time of your life, a two hour getaway, a walk through another time period (rustic Italy, France, Spain, etc), or simply a honeymoon undergo. What you don't see are the behind the scenes scut work: carrying trays, polishing glassware and silverware, kitchen chaos, the list is endless. Now, I'm not saying being a host, server, or bartender is the worst thing in the whole wide world, there are definitely worse things. But the fact of the matter is that it isn't always sunshine and rainbows. In the two years that I have spent in restaurant and customer service, I have spoken my share of expletives, yelled at kitchen staff, and dealt with not-so-happy guests. It isn't easy to keep a bright and shiny smile on your face when all you want to do is choke every person who walks near you. Anyone who has spent even two weeks working in a restaurant understands the rigor and stress that comes with it. Restaurant culture is a tiny world in and of itself that operates on its own principles and creates its own society. It even has its own language. The sayings "runner", "corner", and "on a bus" wouldn't make sense to anyone otherwise. My mother and I both work in a restaurant and the best advice I can give someone going out to eat is to treat us like people. Yes...believe it or not we are people, people. Say "please" and "thank you", or stack your cleared plates before a busser gets to the table. Trust me, the gesture goes a lot farther than you may think.

So, if you work in a restaurant, you can relate with the following points. If not, check out how the brain of a restaurant service (or any customer service) worker actually works. See if you can identify any crazy weird habits your friends have a tendency to partake in.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

11 Things I Learned My Freshman Year of College

Not everything you learn in college can be found in a textbook.

923
Breanna Vogel
Breanna Vogel

One of the scariest things we will ever face in our life is going to college. Many of us move away to a new town, join new organizations, and make new friends. We are expected to study, have a social life, relationships, maybe work, and be healthy. It seems pretty easy to do, and in high school all we wanted to do was graduate and move on to this next chapter of our lives. If you are in high school, here are some things that you can learn from before you get to college. If you have already been through your freshman year of college, hopefully you can relate to the things I have learned in college.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments