Lauren was going through a tumultuous time. There were some personal tensions. She was in her senior year trying to get into the college of her choice. She had to finish the year well while also doing here best to get in the college of her choice. She had all the classic symptoms of the high school graduate, “Senioritis”. Friends were changing, family relationships were changing, and school was still challenging. In the middle of that journey, she discovered an oasis of hope, the Forest Pointe Collision Student Ministry.
COLLISION, described as “where life and faith collide” by Forest Pointe Student Pastor Justin Wallace was able to impact Lauren in a powerful way when she needed it most. Throughout her senior year, she was faithful to attend and connect while connecting numerous friends as well. She served Collision as a leader on Sundays and also served on Sunday mornings as a Forest Pointe Production Assistant. Thankfully, Lauren completed her senior year with flying colors. And she was accepted for admission to study in college with just one twist…it was not the college of her choice.
In May, Lauren was selected to give a talk about how God has been impacting here life. She mentioned the people in her life that had meant so much to her on her journey along with the Forest Pointe Church student ministry. She talked about some personal struggles that she had endured. And she even mentioned her disappointment at not being accepted to the college of her choice. Yet, she still shared her powerful life story and said that she knew God was still with here and guiding her despite her disappointment.
In June, Lauren had recently returned from New York City where she served God along with 11 other students and adults from Forest Pointe. Along the way, she and the team fed, shared Christ, and touched 1000’s of people directly and indirectly demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways. On their “off” day she saw the city and was even displayed prominently to an audience of millions of people as she and our team stood outside the GOOD MORNING AMERICA set alongside Robin Roberts, Josh Elliott, and Sam Champion. It was a spectacular trip. Along the way, she met and cared for people like the little girl sitting in her lap.
Forward to the month of July. Lauren headed to her “second choice” college for orientation. She had already met her roommate and was preparing for advising and the fall semester when she got a call from Appalachian State University (ASU), her 1st choice college. They wanted her to know that she had been moved from the waiting list into a spot in the freshman class for this fall of 2013. She was elated. Not only that, but her roommate at the 2nd choice college ALSO received a call shortly informing her that she too was admitted to ASU! In a superb irony and exciting twist of fate, they are actually rooming together AT ASU in the fall.
It is amazing what God does in the life of those who love Him and are committed to Him.
I love what the Bible says on this subject!
1 Corinthians 2:9
New Living Translation (NLT)
9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Lauren makes the world and better and brighter place. We are happy that her dreams are coming true and that we as a church at Forest Pointe get to enjoy doing “life” with her. When life and faith collide in a “Divine COLLISION”, exciting things happen to people who love God.