The Road Less Traveled

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I…
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." ~Robert Frost

It may sound corny or even cliche, but at some point in each of our lives we all come to this point. We may experience it just once, or it may be a frequent occurrence. For Christians I believe it is a daily choice we must make, to choose the road less traveled. It is a daily sacrifice to choose God over self.

I know during my senior year of high school this was a topic that frequently occupied my mind. What was my next chapter in life? Where was I going to go to college? What did I want to be? What was I going to do with the rest of my life? By the spring of 2009 I had decided that I forever wanted to be a nurse. I chose to go to a small community college where I would be able to get my degree in a short period of time and for a fraction of the cost. My experiences as a child in the hospital gave me a passion to help people who were sick.

The season of nursing school is one that I would never like to repeat. It was probably the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. Nights without sleep led to weeks of being sick and being hospitalized. Being hospitalized led to missing classes and clinical. Missing classes led to making up assignments, clinical and tests, which in turn led to more sleepless nights....You're beginning to see the cycle?? It was a struggle to maintain my health during those three years. I was sick more often than not. I can remember one of my instructors pulling me aside after class one day,
"Alicia, I notice that you look extremely tired and your cough has gotten progressively worse. Are you sure that nursing is the right career for you? Have you considered other options?"
I was furious that she doubted me. I was even more furious that maybe, just maybe she was right...perhaps nursing was not the best choice for me. After all, having cystic fibrosis did put me at risk for being more susceptible to lung infections and the nasty bugs that float around hospitals. I began to believe it. I began to let other peoples' discouraging words and opinions deter me from pressing on.

I stopped trying! Just weeks before graduation I stopped wanting to succeed. Pretty stupid right! I stopped studying and came to terms with the fact that I was not cut out to be a nurse. The last exam before my final I received a 68. A whopping 68. Passing at my nursing school was 75. This was the worst mark I had ever gotten and it was a huge slap in the face. I laid in bed that night tossing and turning, thinking,
 "Alicia! What are you doing? Do you seriously want to fail? Do you think God would have brought you through almost three years of schooling to fail the last few weeks?"
It was at that low moment when God prompted me to grab my bible. I opened it up to Proverbs and he had a promise for me.

Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

That was exactly what I needed! Why was I in nursing school? Was it to glorify myself or was it to glorify God and share His gift of love and salvation with others? My perspective was totally off. I was focusing all on myself and not on the bigger picture. The bigger picture where God wanted to use my life. If I was going to succeed I needed to fully commit my schooling to the lord. So i did!

Long story short I graduated from nursing school on May 20th, 2012 (:

Nursing Graduation with some of my family!

Me with my best friend Christina (:

My dear friend, mentor and clinical instructor!

 Meanwhile, during those last few weeks of nursing school I began praying a serious prayer. Everyday I prayed that God would use my life. I prayed that He would make something beautiful out of the mess I was. I prayed that He would give me clear direction as to what I should do after I graduate. I prayed He would use the knowledge and the skills I developed in nursing school for His glory and honor.

Like most graduate nurses I was excited to begin working a real job making good money. Perhaps I would be able to move out of my parents house and get a new car, cause everyone knows how horrible my car is ha ha!! Although these were realistic dreams and hopes, they were not God's plans for me.

During those last few weeks of nursing school I was working part time at a local ice cream parlor. I had been working there since the summer after highshool graduation. It had become a routine job. I worked the same hours every week. I did the same thing every day, dipped chocolates, made lunches, scooped ice cream and had a good time with my customers. Then one day in April a man and his daughter came in. They were not from around here. You could just tell by their demeanor. The man was peppy and bald (sorry Dwight) and his daughter was stunningly beautiful. After serving them their ice cream I could immediately tell that there was something different about them. I felt united with them and I hardly knew who they were.

I certainly was united with them...it was unity in Christ. They were fellow believers from Arizona. Unfortunately the circumstances they were in New York were not ideal, as Dwight's mom had passed away and they were home for the funeral. However, God works all things out for the good for those who love and serve Him. While talking with them I discovered that they had started a mission to Uganda, called International Voice of the Orphan. They told me how their heart's broke for the orphans of the world and they felt it was their call to be advocates and speak on behalf of those who have no voice. This seriously moved me!!! I was intrigued. I was inspired. I was in awe of what one family was doing to change the world.

I went home that night and prayed! I said,
"God! Why did you have those nice people come in to work today? Why did their story touch my heart so much? Do you want me to pursue this? Please show me!"
They had given me their organization's card before we parted ways at the ice cream shop. So I called them and asked if we could meet again before they needed to head home. Oddly enough they seemed interested in meeting with me again and so we did. They told me they had a short term missions trip coming up in June. It was only a few weeks away, but if I was interested in going they would extend the deadlines for me. WOW!! 6 weeks was all I had. 6 weeks to raise enough money to go to Africa!! Was I out of my mind. I recall Emma saying,
"Don't stress over the funds. If God wants you to go, He WILL provide the funds!"

Was I really going to go to Africa? Could I manage my health in Africa? I had been sick so much during nursing school I surely had my doubts of if I would be healthy enough to go to a third world country. I asked my parents what their opinions were. They both agreed that if God was calling me to go they were not going to stand in the way of His leading, but my health was definitely a concern.

As I do every night, I laid in bed that night seeking God's guidance and direction. I prayed out loud,
"God if you want me to go to Uganda I need you to give me a clear scripture to stand on. I need it to drop in my lap because I have no idea if this is of you or if this is just me being ambitious."
Within seconds, literally, a little piece of folded up paper dropped out of my bible onto the quilt my grandma made me. Written on the paper were some scribbled chemistry notes and a scripture...Luke 9:1-6.
I chuckled to myself and thought,
"No way! That would just be too weird! I don't know exactly what this scripture is, but it can't be relevant to me going to Uganda."

Luke 9:1-6 reads, "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: 'Take nothing for the journey-no staff, no bag, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust of your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.' So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere."

Was it ever relevant!! It was crystal clear that I was to go and I was to preach the gospel and heal the sick. God spoke so clearly to me that night I was in complete shock. I got up and I paced around my room wondering what it would be like, wondering how I was going to raise the funds to go, wondering if I would be healthy while I was there. So many thoughts and questions flooded my mind.

That piece of paper that dropped out of my bible and on to my bed was from my first semester of college. A dear friend had thought of me one morning while she was doing her personal devotions and gave it to me. At the time I received it, I was still living for myself and didn't know how it applied to my life, but God knew! God had it perfectly planned out. He knew that I would put that piece of paper in my bible and two years later He would use it to confirm for me to follow Him to Uganda! How crazy is that! Our God is pretty amazing! I would not call that a coincidence by any means.

I won't deny that I did have my series of doubts. People asked me if I was seriously going to jeopardize failing my Nursing Licensing exam by going to Uganda before I took it. Other people questioned if my health would hold up. Others just thought I was plain crazy...one woman said to me,
"You do know the LRA is in Uganda, right? They are brutal."
I said to her,
"Yupp I know that they are in and out of Uganda, but my God is constantly in Uganda. He is everywhere and he will protect me and fulfil the call He has placed on my life. And if He chooses to take my life while I am there, I wouldn't have it any other way because I know I will be in the center of his will."

In the midst of the doubtful moments God gave me moments of peace and clarity. Moments when His voice spoke louder than any human voice. The Sunday before I boarded the plane to leave for Uganda my pastor spoke on having faith in God and believing that what he calls you to do he will equip you for. It hit home with me for sure. One of his closing scriptures was:

Isaiah 6:8&9 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I Lord, Send ME.'"

That scripture could not have been given to me at a more perfect time. That sermon could not have been preached at a more perfect time. God knew the doubts I had in my heart and he removed those doubts with His voice of truth. I was ready and I was willing! I was the one that the Lord was sending. It was me that He had chosen this time to GO and preach His gospel and His love to the nations.

It was that leap of faith! The initial step that God was waiting for me to take to reveal His good and perfect plan to me.

What happened next is too much to fit into this post so it will be coming at a later date...(: