So Much Goodness!

Oh, you guys! This heart of mine is so full this week! There's no way that I can convey to you just how thrilled I am over the Lord's faithfulness, but I'll do my best.

I'll be honest with you. I have had a really hard time keeping my nerves at bay during this season of uncertainty and change. As y'all know, Drew's still got a year of grad school in Memphis, and I'll be graduating from Ole Miss in May. I've spent a major portion of my senior year with my nose in grad school applications, and the nerves have, in effect, been building. I've worried that I'd be far from my family and far from Drew. I've worried that, even worse, I might not get into school at all. I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed, but the anxiety lingered. But as I've mentioned before, I have the best friends on earth, and they always come through when I need them most! During a breakdown, my sweet roommate, Samantha, brought a big hug and some bigger words into my pity party. She asked me if I'd considered praying about it. Duh, Sam. I've done nothing but pray since I started this process. Then, she asked if I was praying out of fear or out of thankfulness. If I was praying with a truly grateful heart, I'd be thanking God for the plans that I still wasn't sure about. I'd be confident in his omnipotence and in the fact that my future was being shaped as we spoke. I'd realize that God would always be several steps ahead of my small mind. Whoa, girlfriend. You got me there. I quickly realized that my prayers were lacking the bold confidence that comes from a heart that is wholly trusting. In that moment, I gave it up. I gave up making myself sick over the  next step. I gave up crying. I gave up and gave in to the peace that God wanted to give me from the beginning. Oh, and what peace he gave! The butterflies were still there, but they were just background noise now. I was resting in the truth that my Father had it all under control. And then, God started revealing in big ways the plans He'd be working on all along!

To start, Drew received an email this week from a great company in Memphis, and they have offered him a graduate assistantship! This will bring his tuition down to the in-state rate, and they're giving him a little spending money to boot! He'll be collaborating with an awesome group of doctors and developing a business model for their next expansion. This opportunity is going to be huge in the development of Drew's career, and I couldn't possibly be any prouder of him!

We had a few days to relish in that news, and then God delivered another wave of grace. As I checked my email yesterday, I saw in the subject line "UAMS AuD Program Decision Letter." This was it. This sweet school in Little Rock was my very favorite of the four I'd applied to. We'd been told they were taking only 9 doctoral students for next years class, so the odds were stacked. I took a few deep breaths, and I opened the attached file. The first few words put me in tears..."Dear Ms. Foley, I am writing to inform you that our Au.D. Admissions Committee has recommended, and they have concurred, that you be admitted to our Fall 2013 class for the Doctor of Audiology degree program. Please consider this your official acceptance letter." Lost it, right then and there..but there was more. "We would also like to offer you a graduate assistantship position...out-of-state students holding a graduate assistantship in any semester will pay in-state tuition for that semester." Talk about feeling God's grace! Y'all, it was honestly like being hit wave after wave with more goodness than I could possibly comprehend. I laughed and cried and called Drew and my family. I contacted a couple of people who've played vital roles in my undergrad experience to thank them for what they've done. And then I took a breath. I took several, actually, and I let it sink in just how good the Lord is. He's been watching me squirm, and it's like He just waited for me to sit still so he could bring the blessings.

Oh, what a lesson I've learned. I've learned that the worry just isn't worth it when our plans are in the hands of the One who sees it all. He won't forget about us for a second, and He knows exactly where our hearts are. He knows exactly where our lives fit into His plan, and His plan is good. Rest in that.

Love to you,
Carrie