A Purpose Driven Life

YOU: Why are you going to The War College?

MARIA: Jesus is compelling me to go.

YOU: What?

MARIA: Good question. Saying “Jesus is compelling me to go” does not necessarily bring clarity to the question. Let me try and explain what I mean by it.

For years and years now whenever I hear or read about people living extreme lives for, to and through Jesus I have almost physically felt a pull to go and do like wise. Then I start to think about all the things and stuff I would have to give up - comfort, space, free time - to only name a few and I think maybe it’s not for me. Two year ago, before I had been accepted into the University of Victoria’s Social Work program I was introduced to The War College and felt the pull to go. I told God, or maybe a better way of saying it is I suggested to God, that if I did not get into the Social Work program that I would go to The War College, but if I did get in then I would wait. After many months of waiting and praying I got into the University of Victoria!

Fast forward almost two years and it is the end of February 2011 and I am preparing to graduate, I have a plan, a plan to get a job and to start saving up money to get my own place. I had almost completely forgotten about The War College until one day while sitting at my computer filling out an application I hear God whisper, in an almost audible voice, “War College.” I will be completely honest my first thought was NO! No I’m not doing War College, I don’t want to do War College, I don’t want to give up my comforts, it is to hard for me, no I don’t want to go. Then I spent some time talking with God about it, reading the Bible and talking with some wise people in my life, and I quickly, within a week, knew that The War College was where God was directing me. I had a plan, a nice safe and clean plan, but God turned that plan on its head and reminded me of His plan. The best part of this story is that I want to do God’s plan, because this is what I desire to do, I had forgotten, but God had not and He is so faithful to remind me. Thank you God.

I am an extreme person. My mom who knows me best, next to God can testify to this, while actually anyone who knows me at all can be witness to this! Haha God created me this way, He created me to be extreme, to live extreme. When I am not, when I try to live a “normal” life, not there is anything wrong with a “normal” life if that is where God has placed you, I go off the deep end trying to find passion and meaning. I experienced this recently when I spent 5 months drinking and partying. One Bible study I was sharing with the group that I was bored, and this scared me because when I get bored I get in to trouble. My wise and gentle Pastor John said “I don’t think you are bored I think you are feeling like you have no purpose.” At first I did not agree, but after thinking about it I saw that he was dead on. The book that was the catalysis for me to decide to follow Jesus was A Purpose Driven Life. I remember reading that book and thinking I want to live a meaningful life, I want to have a purpose, and Jesus seems to have the answers, so I am going to follow Him. This is still true six years later; I want to live a life of meaning and purpose.

YOU: So, why are you going to War College?

MARIA: I am going to The War College because I believe that Jesus is calling me to go live and learn with some of the most broken and lost of our society. I believe that Jesus wants to use this experience to continue to teach me about loving God and loving people.