'Every Day Faith' is a terrible expression - Nichole

After I finished Lifeforce I came home and met with Steve Huhn. I wasn't sure about where I should go. What I should do. The first thing that came to mind was immediately jumping back into the program again.

Steve warned me about the dangers of entering that 'ministry bubble'. How I'd never learn how to live out my Christianity in real life.

(Steve doesn't have anything against programs like Lifeforce or Street Invaders. Keep in mind this was aimed directly at me.. for where I was in my life at the moment.)

I was so flustered.
I knew that it was possible to still live out a radical faith in every-day life. At the same time.. I really didn't. It didn't seem to resonate with the same amount of purpose that dedicating a year to a program like Lifeforce, 5 stone or Daniel Company did. Although I never admited this in my head.. I felt like my purpose as a Christian was completely over. Maybe not completely over.. but definitely less than.

All of my friends began applying to Bible colleges, preparing for another year of Lifeforce, preparing for missions.. I was insanley jealous.

I even made plans to apply to FGBC myself. However, my best-friend encouraged me to apply to Mt.Royal. With how many students are getting turned down.. what my high-schools grades are like (ie. I don't even have a math or a second language or a science. My English mark was a 55%) I figured that it was hopeless. I applied anyway just to see what would happen. I'm not really sure why. My heart was pretty set on Bible College.

My acceptance letter to Mt.Royal came two weeks early.
Shortly after I had many people speak to me about becoming a teacher. I remembered my childhood dream of becoming a teacher and actually began to invest thought into it.

I was really hesitant though.
I've never been one to get good grades.
I've always been incredibly self-conscious about my intelligence.
Being in this type of a state.. why would I think that I was good enough to teach?
I felt silly for even considering it.

My first semester I registered myself in three English courses and a Spanish.
Composition, Lit, Poetry and Spanish.
I remember getting back my first essay in Comp. I didn't look at the grade during class. I was too embarrassed about what anyone would say if they saw. Whenever anyone asked me what I got on my paper I told them that I got a B. Everyone else seemed to have gotten a B. So I said B. In actuality, I was anticipating a D.

When I got out of the classroom I went to my locker to empty my bag and almost didn't even bother to open the essay. I felt sick to my stomach whenever I even glanced at it. Finally I summed up the nerve to at least look at the grade.

I was absolutely baffled to see an A+.
I cried. Thank goodness nobody was around.
I'd never gotten an A before in my life.

On the back page was a comment the teacher had written that said, 'I would love to have a copy of this to use as a standard model of excellence for this class. Please see me after class.'

I was so overwhelmed.

What's more - is that she wrote that exact same note on every single essay that I wrote. Before long, everyone in the class would pass around my essay and read it before handing it in to her. She resented having to be the last person to read it.

This year I enrolled in Intermediate Composition. I was late registering for the class and came in a week late. We had to write an introductory paragraph and three topic sentences and then read it outloud. Then the prof and the rest of the class would critique you. I lead a group of three other girls. They put the ideas we came up with on paper and then I edited.

When I read out what I had written.. everyone just applauded.
No critique. No nothing.

The prof approached me later and told me that I'm exempt from the grammer quiz.

I still dream of becoming a high school teacher.
However, I've also made plans to attain my Master's. To teach at college and university afterwards.

How does this relate to living out your faith in every day life?
It's passion. It's the motivation and freedom to dream.
To strive.
God brought purpose to my faith.
My faith didn't bring purpose to Him.
Instead of searching for him in a program, in ministry, even in church.. and trying to force Him to be what I think I need.. He came searching for me and brought me into an intense passion for life. Into freedom.