Full Circle and Second Chances

This time in 1995 I was preparing to graduate from Lexington High School and was excited and nervous about heading to Spartanburg to attend Converse College on Full scholarships!!  That feeling was sooo undescribable so I won't even try.  I have made several wrong turns in my life that have taken me off the path of promise that I know God set me on.  But His grace is so sufficient!!  You see, God doesn't make promises to take them away from you.  Now, if we choose to walk away, that is a different story.  When I look back over the past fifteen years I can clearly see him working in my life even when I couldn't see it at that particular moment.  For 15 years I have made my husband feel as if he forced me into the decision to stay in Columbia and get married instead of relocating to Spartanburg.  The truth is, I was scared.  Scared of being abandoned and rejected.  Scared of failure.  Just scared.  I think that all of my wrong decisions were made out of fear.  What a waste of time I have spent to figure this one out!!  I truly have come full circle!!  I have tried many times to go back to college and was never quite happy with my decision.  I went to Columbia College for a semester, Midlands tech for a few semesters and was still very unsettled.  Fear is a powerful thing!!  In January of 2009, while I was already enrolled in Midlands tech in cola, Tony was given the opportunity to relocate to the upstate for his job.  I was very extablished and comfortable where I was.  I was the Women's Ministry director in the church that I love dearly.  My children were established in school and surrounded by the friends and family that were most important in their lives.  I really did not want to move to any town with any simblance of Mayberry but God continued to tug at my heart.  When I would sit and ponder leaving my very dear sweet friends that were more like family to me I would feel sooo sad and scared.  But I still felt that tug.  Would I let fear control me once again? 
We decided that Tony taking this position would be the best decision for our family and we would begin the relocation process during the summer of 2009.  Hahahahaa!! That's what we thought.  We began to look at the Spartanburg area since my criteria for a town is: mall, hospital, paved roads, good schools, and city-like enviornment.  We immediately found a house that was perfect but wouldn't last long.  So.....we jumped and prayed God would catch us.  AND HE DID!!  This was all in His plan.  Everyghing was coming together in a way no human could manipulate....just like my acceptance and scholarships to Converse College in 1995. We made the announcement at church on Sunday march 8th that we sould be moving during the summer and we never went back!!  God moved us that week!!!  We found a house, packed a house, and were living in Spartanbug Saturday march 14The!!  My head was spinning!!  I literally had NO time to let fear settle in!! Little did I know that Converse has a program for women over 24 that allows them to finish their degree at a top ranked school for half the price!!!  I am now a Junior at the school of my dreams.  I am surrounded by amazing friends!  I have the best man in the world who supports me and takes care of me no matter how horrible I can be to him!!  I have two beautiful, smart, precious children who are the BEST thing I have ever done!!!  We attend a wonderful church where I am now about to be a leader in....you guessed it...Women's Ministries!!!!  And did i mention that I am majoring in Special Education? Me?  Never in a million years would I think I would choose this path.  But the truth is, I didn't!!  God gave me the  biggest gift and miracle when he gave me Austin who only weighed 1 lb 10 oz at birth.  Through this journey I have become very passionate about advocating for children who have different learning needs!!!  God sure has brought me full circle and he is the God of second chances.  I stand in awe at the mercies he's shown me and the path that he has created in my life.  We are looking into private christian school for our children and Tony is about to lead a small group at church.  This "transition season" we've been in for over a year is finally over and God is showing himself!!  This is what's going on in our lives and I would LOVE to hear what God is doing in yours!!!!