On October 13th, 2014 I was headed back home from Henderson, Tennessee with a heart so full I thought it might burst. I knew with every part of me that I had just left the university I would soon call home. I loved every aspect of the campus that I had just seen, and there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that was where I was supposed to be.

I began the typical thought process as any upcoming college freshman would. I pictured what my comforter would look like and how many clothes I would be able to stuff into that dorm room closet. I anticipated all the new people I would meet and all the new memories I would make. I couldn’t wait to get started on this new chapter of life.

Now let’s fast forward a couple of months. I will spare you the details of this time span, but I will tell you it included many moments of praying, pleading and ultimately disappointment. It was in these months that I watched the idea of going to my dream school fall apart before it even had the chance to fully come together. I could go over all the reasons, but you know as well as I do that there isn’t always a definite one. Sometimes there is no reason other than because it’s not part of God's plan for you.

I can’t think of a way to describe how I felt other than lost. Here it was, the end of my senior year, and I didn’t have a plan. I watched my friends pick out their comforters and helped them decide between which clothes to take to stuff into their little dorm closets. They were preparing to head off, while I was preparing to stay in this same little town.

I had always told myself that I was never going to be the person who stayed at home and attended the local community college, and it was hard to push those thoughts aside as I signed up for classes at that very school. The following weeks were difficult as I said goodbye to friends, and everything I had always known started changing. Although I felt discouraged, I still tried my hardest to remind myself that it was going to be okay. If God’s plan did not involve me going to my dream school, then I had to have faith in that. I knew that just because I couldn’t find a reason at the time, did not mean there wasn't one, and I prayed for the patience to see that through.

Now here it is June 13, 2016, and I’ve found my reason. I’m in my second year of college, I have a job that I love, and I have met people that have absolutely changed my life. I can honestly say that I have never been happier. I have learned that you can do as much planning as you would like, but the Lord's plan will always prevail. And when you think you know what is best for you, He has a way of showing you otherwise.

So I want you to know it’s okay to not go to your dream school, it’s okay to not have a plan and that sometimes the best answer to a prayer is “no”.