15th
Stories about God’s Providencial Care in my life…part 2: A New Beginnging…
This time, the year is 2001, the month is August, and the place is Houghton, Michigan, specifically Michigan Technological University.As our tale begins, it is orientation week for all new Freshmen, the week before classes actually start up.
Coming to MTU was a big decision for me, I mean heck, it would’ve been a big decision for anyone from southwestern ohio, considering it was the same travel distance there as it was to sunny Orlando, Florida. I went from a town where I had gone to the same school system my entire life, and new pretty much my entire graduating class, and was known and liked by nearly all, to a college where I knew no one, and had really no clue what to expect.
The week started with us being divided into groups by our major, and there were probably 15 or 20 of us in the geology/geological engineering program, compared the the hundreds in most of the other programs. I’m certain that I probably alienated myself right from the beginning from my fellow majors due to my beliefs in Christianity and Creationism, however, the thought never even occured to me at the time. Throughout my life, I’ve never hid any aspects concerning what I believe and try to be rather transparent about my thoughts at all times. As a result, I didn’t have a single friend in my major. On top of this, the primary activity at MTU during orientation week was to get “oriented” with the various fraternities and go and drink the nights away there. I wanted nothing to do with this, as I had long ago decided I had no desire to have anything to do with a frat. So the week went on, and I still had zero friends, something that i was VERY unaccustomed to. There were a couple guys i had met, and we hung out briefly at meals and whatnot, but they always were going to the frats at night, and i had no desire to do that. So finally, on Thursday of orientation week, after knowing really no one, I decided, fine, i’ll go to a frat party with them.
As I was walking out of my dorm building, on my way to meet them, an attractive girl stopped me and said “A bunch of us are heading out to the breakers, you wanna come?” For those of you who don’t know, the breakers is one of the beaches near MTU right along Lake Superior. I was stunned and told her sure, sounded like fun. On the trip there, I found out that she was with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. FINALLY I had met some of the Christians on campus! I wound up having an amazing time, and got to know some really great men and women of God some of whom I still talk to.
So, during one of my darkest thinking times and most depressed times in my life, God was right there making sure I didn’t make a stupid decision. I can think of few other more clear examples of His providential guidance in my life than me going out to probably ruin my reputation and any future witness I might have and God sending someone along and waking me up, essentially saying to me “Hey you! Dummy! Don’t screw your life up, there are cool, people here!” The bottom line here is simply this: God looks out for us even when we don’t look out for ourselves!
