Navigating the Unexpected: My Journey Home

    If you have not read my previous blog post, please do so, because what I’m about to share happened just hours after Professor Sunia’s prayer, right after I returned home from Southern Adventist University, following my ‘Life and Teachings of Jesus’ class. I perceive that there is a war behind the scenes, a war of life and death, a war to keep those whom God has set aside, dead or alive.

    I’m not certain if God has set me aside, but through His providential signs, I sense that I may be set apart for His purpose. I am not perfect, but if that’s the case, please keep me in your prayers.

    From the video, you can see that it rained; you can also see the black Cadillac crossing from the other side, from a lane that is not permitted to make a left turn. You can also see that the traffic light was green and turned yellow as I crossed the intersection, and that I gave ample warning by honking to alert the driver that I was crossing. Had angels not been there to protect me, I might have collided head-on with the black Cadillac.

    However, praise the Lord that He kept me safe.

    Sometimes, the unexpected is placed in our path so that we can continue to keep our eyes on Jesus. Our ultimate destination is heaven, but as long as we live in this sinful world, the devil will continue to distract us from focusing on Jesus. May this experience serve as encouragement to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

Embracing Rainy Days: A Divine Encounter at Brock Hall

The morning sky was adorned with clouds, dew kissing the ground, and a gentle mist accompanied by light rain poured from the gray clouds. Little did I know that this seemingly ordinary day would unfold into a unique encounter, a testament to the unexpected ways God works.

I found a parking spot by Brock Hall and noticed a car in front of mine with its headlights on. I waited for a bit, thinking that someone might have left their car lights on. One minute turned to 10, then 15, until I decided that I should see if someone is in the car.

As I got out of the car to grab my backpack and water bottle from the backseat, I heard a loud thump coming from in front of me as if someone had just exited and closed the door of their vehicle. Instead of investigating the car, I decided to walk to my 9 AM class, Personal Finance.

As I made my way to Brock Hall, a figure with Samoan islander features, who dressed like a professor, walked from the other side of the parking lot toward the same direction as I. A quick exchange about the weather ensued, and to my surprise, he opened a door by the stairways, which I thought was inaccessible from the outside.

“You want to come through here?” the professor insisted, since it was a faster route. I was about to decline, since I was about an hour early to my first class and I didn’t mind taking the extra steps toward the main entrance. But due to the light rain, I agreed and said, “I didn’t know this door has always been open since the 3 weeks I’ve been here.”

“Oh, you’re a freshman? What major are you taking?”

“Theology,” I responded as we started our climb to the 3rd floor of Brock Hall. “So you must be a man of God,” he uttered. “Only by the grace of God.” I replied. I clarified to him that I’m a 40 years old Freshman student. He said, “God must have a plan for you.” I didn't know what God's plan was for me, or why He took me from Colorado to Tennessee.

As we were breathing heavily to catch our breath in entering the 3rd-floor hall, he stopped me and asked, “what is your name?” “My name is Assdhy, what’s yours?” I responded. “My name is Sunia. How do you say your name? Is it Ozzy?” He replied as he extended his hand to shake mine. I grabbed his thick hand and said, “Yeah, it sounds like Ozzy Osborne, but with a D in the middle as in Oz-D-ee.” “Ozdee." He paused and asked, "May I pray for you?!”

As we adjusted our breathing from the climb. I said, “Sure.” There at the hallway on the third floor, he prayed for me, and at that moment, as his larger hand continued to hold tight of my hand, I felt the comfort of God assuring me that He will not leave me. You see, the night before, I had felt overwhelmed over the long homework that I had to do for my Statistics Class. It took all my energy to sit in front of my computer to learn about the Math that I had given up 22 years ago. What is Σ, σ, x̄ and √? I felt like my two-year-old son, trying to learn his ABCs. Everything looked so foreign. How can I remember all these formulas? There were many times where I had to pause from my study to talk to my wife, complaining about how hard the homework was and I’m just three weeks in. There was a small thought in me that, just maybe, God may have brought me to Southern Adventist University to learn another lesson in failure. However, after meeting Professor Sunia, I gave a quick prayer in my heart to thank the Lord for my encounter with Professor Sunia. "Thank you Lord, for assuring me that you have never left me. May your will be done in my life.”

Though the cloud blanketed the blue morning sky, hiding the ray of the sun from shining its light, the sun is still there, and the Son of God as well is here as I faced through my frustration. God knows what I’m going through and He knows what His plan is for me. If you only see the cloud of trials in your life and have thoughts of giving up, know that God is with you. Surrender your plan at His feet and He will walk with you on the rainy days, opened the door for you, hold your hand, comfort you, and He will reveal to you His glory. I’m a sinner, saved by His grace. If He loves a sinner such as I, He is surely in love with you.