Day 27: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

 

I couldn't decide which version of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus to use.  The first video is Jadon Lavik - he has a really great acoustic version.  The second video is Selah - they have a really great a capella version.  

For as many years as I can remember I have had a blue and white blanket that I keep on my bed.  It was a gift from a friend of my grandfather's.  On the blanket, in black stitching, it says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make straight your paths."

That is one of the biggest ways my faith has grown since starting college - I have learned where to lean.  When I was at home and growing up, I knew to lean on my faith and on God and a lot of that direction came from my parents.  I leaned on my Bible, on devotion books, on Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, camp and how I knew God through those things.  

When I chose to go to college 6 hours away from home, I knew there would be a lot of decisions I would make on my own.  A lot of those decisions have to do with taking responsibility.  Would I take responsibility for my studies or would they be a lower priority.  Would I take responsibility for my relationship with Christ or would that be a lower priority.

At the end of my senior year my closest girlfriends and all of our moms gathered together for a mother/daughter afternoon at one of my friend's houses.  My friend's mom had a great idea - all of us girls would write letters to ourselves that would be sent to us on a future date of our choosing.  Our mom's would all write letters to us that would be sent on a date of their choosing.  I got my letter from my mom early in my freshmen year.  She told me that she loved me and that she would miss me while I was away, she hoped I was making friends and enjoying school.  The very last thing she wrote was this: trust Jesus with everything.  

She knew she and my dad couldn't go to college with me.  She was telling me that Jesus had been there all along and would go with me to places that she couldn't.  In college I am learning to take responsibility for my faith and my relationship with Christ and working on living a life in Him.  I am learning to lean on Him.  I am learning that I always can lean on Him.  I can turn my eyes upon Jesus, and set my heart there too.

~SP