I have been thinking about my Alma mater this week as they are having a revival in Hughes auditorium. I remember people praying for revival while I was a student over 20 years ago.

I am not someone who would ever be asked to speak at chapel nor was I ever asked when I was a student. I know most of us feel that way as there were many students and alumni who have never had this chance. I was also not called to come to the revival. I know many were, and I read their testimonies, but I often asked God why I was not called to go. 

For some reason this message was placed on my heart, and I needed to express it somehow. Since I am a writer and no one will ever ask me to speak at Chapel, my blog is the next best place. You may ask yourself why would they not ask you Nancy? I am a writer and a teacher, and most of the time those who speak at chapel are pastors of missionaries. I was not someone who stood out at school, and that is fine, there is no and was no complaining here. There were probably other reasons, but these are the ones that stand out the most. I had student loans to figure out how I was going to pay, I worked in the cafeteria, which was fine, but it was also hard to work and study. 

I think it is important to hear from many different people, especially at a place like Asbury College (it was Asbury College when I attended, and old habits die hard.) As a student I heard from many different pastors, youth pastors, preachers, missionaries, but that was about it. Sure, the was the occasional person outside of that career path but not many. And that is a disappointment as there are many others who would have been worthwhile to hear from. 

Everyone who graduates from Asbury is not going to be a preacher or a missionary. In fact, our Alumni go into many different fields which is why Asbury offers so many different degrees. It is also a felicity to assume that everyone there is a Christian. Many of my friends were there because their parents told them to go there, or they would not pay for their education and so on. 

When I was at Asbury, it was a time of questioning myself, questioning what I wanted out of life and why I was not getting married of living these amazing lives that all these others seemed to have. I never thought I was good enough and never thought I could make it. Everyone kept saying you have to go on a mission’s trip, you have to do this or that. But that is not what really mattered. Everyone’s path is different, and you have to have the courage to choose your own path. God calls us all to do different things. 

It is easy to assume that everyone at Asbury is Christian and that would be the wrong assumption. I met many students who were only there because their parents or grandparents told them they had to. There were probably other reasons, but these are the ones that stand out the most. I had student loans to figure out how I was going to pay, I worked in the cafeteria, which was fine, but it was also hard to work and study. 

So, I was not called to attend the revival. I was aware that it was happening, but I God has placed other things on my heart. My family for one, but then my students. You see while I did not go on a mission’s trip to another county, I am on the mission’s field everyday as a middle school teacher. Once I realized that God called me to be a middle school teacher, I didn’t feel this inadequacy. I didn’t have to prove to others, of defend why I was not going overseas on a mission’s trip. 

As I said before, my time at Asbury held many ups and downs for me. But the most important thing was that I was never alone. I am never alone. Christ is always with me. It is easy for us to get caught up with our lives, whether it be friendships, family drama or work drama, but we are still not alone. When you are a senior at Asbury, and you still do not know what you’re going to do when you graduate, you are not alone. When you are a freshman, and you have not picked a major yet, you are not alone. When you get older and you don’t talk to those friends from Asbury anymore, you are not alone. You and I have never been alone. 

If you feel alone, and have not accepted Christ, that does not mean you are alone. Even when you have your back turned away from Him, you are not alone. We have never been alone!