I didn’t want it, but He had planned it

1991. A ‘big name’ university in Chicago rejected my application for their MBA program. When I shared the bad news with my professor, he told me that the reasons the school gave me did not make sense at all.

As I continued to look for different schools for MBA programs, my girlfriend (now my wife) told me about a Christian college that I had not heard of before. My first reaction was ‘She must be joking! Can she give me a good reason that I should check out this very small, ‘no name’ college?‘ I did not take her advice until my student visa was going to expire within a short period of time. At last, I submitted my application to this college located in the north side of Chicago.

Weeks ticked by. I was admitted into their MBA program. But there was one more thing I needed: my student visa extension that the school had to process and to send it to the Immigration Office ON TIME. As my visa expiration was drawing near, I was worried sick about everything, especially my girlfriend to whom I had been committed to spend my life with. Is God going to keep us apart?

Both of us prayed earnestly for God’s mercy. Just one week before my visa expired, I received a phone call from the school that my visa extension was completed.

As I studied in the MBA program, the Lord placed me into the care of three Christian professors. These three servants of God treated me like a very close friend, and we even prayed together occasionally. Besides, they helped me obtain two jobs on campus: a student recruitment representative and an assistant Economics instructor for the MBA program.

I myself did not want to go through any hardships, but the Lord humbled me and took hold of my right hand to lead me to a specific place He had planned for me, a place beyond my expectations. In His guidance, I learned to trust Him for His providence according to His own will and His own time; I learned to persevere in my struggles. My faith in Him grew.

I myself did not want to enter a small college, but the Lord wanted me to follow Him in every step that He had planned for my path. I followed Him and received His abundant blessings that I did not see.

I know I had doubts, but I learned what ‘faith’ is. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) says it very well: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” My journey with God will continue, and I will follow Him wherever He wants me to go.

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