Beginning Again

Coming home. Every missionary knows it's coming someday...but that day comes much faster than you expect it to. Looking back my mission feels like a wonderful blur and almost a dream. There were days that seemed like an eternity, weeks that felt like a day, and eight teen months that passed by me in a few brief seconds. Those moments changed my eternity. It's hard to believe that I've been home for a month...I blinked again...in the past four weeks my entire life has been flipped upside-down. The beautiful plan I had carefully created fell apart into something that could only be created by the Master's hand.

Before leaving on my mission I did everything possible to finish the application process for the Elementary Education Program at Utah State University. Believe me, it wasn't easy. I had to put in a lot of time and effort to be prepared for the five hour exam in the middle of my final exams for the semester, along with two other tests and a group interview. As always, my God was so good to me and helped me to get it done. Within my first six weeks in the mission field I had received my acceptance letter and I put all of that to the side with peace in my heart knowing that it was all taken care of for when I got home. My wonderful mother enrolled me in all of my classes, got an apartment for me with my best friend and former companion, and paid all of my fees and tuition... so when I got off that plane I didn't have to worry about a thing. For those first three weeks we were going to play and have fun until I moved up to Utah State University. Then...the uneasy feeling came...the same one that guided me to serving a mission when I was starting to take my own path rather than God's. I spent a lot of time talking with my God about it and came to the conclusion that I wasn't supposed to go into the Elementary Education program that I had worked so hard to get into. It hurt my heart but I felt good about it and decided to look into Interior Design. A couple of miracles and "God doesn't do random" moments later I'm job shadowing a designer in my area and loving every second of it. Then...the feeling came back...now Utah State University as a whole didn't feel right. In that moment I had to blindly trust. I was enveloped in darkness... I couldn't see anything before me but knew that He could. In my mind every moment when I trusted, when I walked in faith and gave my heart to God, played out before me and I knew that He was preparing a way. So I acted. I dropped all of my classes and left Utah State University with only hope, faith, and trust in a loving God. Days later...after the trial of my faith...I found the LDS Business College. This school has an INCREDIBLE Interior Design program and it has become my home. I love the feeling here. I love the people I have met. I'm exactly where I need to be. I don't know all of the reasons why I need to be here yet...and I may never find out all of the reasons why...but I know God has guided me here and He will continue to help me as I follow Him and trust in the promptings He gives me.

So my friends...when your life may feel like its falling apart around you...when you feel that nothing is working out...when you feel that you are alone and left in the dark... trust in Him who knoweth all things. Who loved you more than enough to send His Son. He sees what you cannot and He will guide you down that path that will bring you the most joy possible in this life and in the life to come.
Your God is oh so very good to you.    

*Kenna