The Right Choice

So many times within the last week I have prayed this prayer of thanksgiving, joy, and relief:

"Oh, God...I made the right choice."

I have wanted to go to Biola since I was 12, and now I'm almost 18. For about a year, I doubted my desire to go to Biola, saying that I didn't want to live in Southern California. But, then I decided to apply anyway, almost as a afterthought, since I had been so interested in it for so long. I thought it would be a good back-up school. When I got my acceptance letter, my response was something along the lines of "Oh, I got into another school. Yippee."

Ever since then, God has been working on my heart. He pointed me to Torrey. He showed me hidden gems of Biola that made me want to go there. Then I got the financial aid estimate, which was about equal to (though slightly less than) the estimate from my other top school. I chose Biola even when I didn't know if I would be accepted to Torrey or not.

Ever since I made the decision on March 21, 2010, I have been praying that I made the right decision. When I thought some of my financial aid had been cancelled, I prayed I had made the right decision. When I realized how much books would cost, I prayed I had made the right decision. When I got sick a week before I was supposed to move onto campus and stayed sick for a full two weeks, I prayed I had made the right decision. When I was missing my family and discovering the trouble they were having getting my brother home from school without me to drive him, I prayed I had made the right decision.

After a week here, I know I have made the right decision.

So many times, I have smiled and just thanked God with my heart because words were not enough. When I was greeted with a hug when I walked onto campus on the first day of Torrientation. When my father prayed over me at the communion service. When I heard Dr. Reynolds speak at the Torrientation events. When my seers took time to say hi to me and see how I was doing. When I heard someone I had only known a week call out my name. When I met my Torrey group for lunch. When I spent hours in the library reading the Iliad (and laughing). Each time, I breathed, "Oh, God...I made the right choice."