Chris Horsman
Fredericton, NB
BA-YM, 3rd year
I was born into a very loving Christian home. Both of my parents are Christians
and I have an older sister who is also a Christian. I grew up going to church.
At a very early age I accepted Christ into my life, but as most small children,
hardly grasped the implications of such a decision.
At the age of 12 or 13, I became heavily involved in my youth group. I was
learning and growing in my faith and God used this time to prepare me for what
was to come. When I was 16, the congregation in my church suffered an unhealthy
division over leadership and one of my best friends died suddenly of leukemia.
This time in my life was extremely trying, but God used the foundation He had
built earlier to guide me through the grieving
process.
When I look back now, I see how God used those events to shape my motives for
the future. I realized I have no idea how long I (or anyone else) have here on
this earth and decided that I would make a difference in the world; an eternal
difference. One of my greatest motivators was that I had never been open enough
about my faith to ask Kyle (my friend who died of leukemia) if he was a
Christian. I never witnessed to him, and I regret missing the many opportunities
God provided. I decided in my heart that I wasn't going to be a casual Christian
anymore.
That's why I came to Bethany. I felt God was calling me to make an eternal
difference for Him. I'm currently enrolled in the Youth Ministry program and
hope to work with High School aged students in the future. I have a strong
interest in teaching and would love to become a high school science teacher. I'm
trusting that the Lord will show me where He wants me to be.
This year He's been teaching me to trust Him with more areas of my life and
teaching me about true surrender. What I've experienced is a freedom like no
other. When we release our cares to the Lord it frees us from trying to control
the things we can't. He has also been teaching me about striving for
authenticity instead of acceptance. I want to be authentic in God's eyes, not
simply accepted by my peers.
This period in my life certainly hasn't been without its trials, but I've
learned that God wants to teach me something through each one. I've also learned
to rest in His immeasurable strength during those trials. I know that I have
been tremendously blessed and for that I am thankful. I am excited to continue
on this adventure of life following the One who will always lead me in the right
direction.
Deborah Guptill
Bedford, NS
BA-CP, 1st year
I have never felt so close to God. The reasons that I have come so close to Him
in the last few days are not the circumstances I would want to be in, but I am.
Since coming to Bethany I have learned enormous amounts about the Bible and
about living a good Christian life. This has been an amazing experience, but
just having the knowledge is not enough.
Over the last four days my life has been completely turned upside down. My
fragile heart was broken and I wanted nothing to do with those around me because
of it. I have never read so much scripture in such a short amount of time. God
has been showing me that as long as I stay in His word and pray persistently to
Him I can still live and live for Him. All of the knowledge that I have learned
the last few months here I have been able to put into practice. Making sense of
why God would allow someone to precious to me to be taken away so that He could
have His name glorified is so complicated. I know that through this entire
ordeal God will use my heart ache and my loneliness to draw me and hopefully
others closer to Him.
I have come to a place where I can feel what God wants me to do. Even when
others think it absurd or pointless I know that it needs to be done. God has
been letting me know that it is okay to hurt and to still have hope in my heart
that He will work every detail out to His will. Sometimes what God does will
never make sense, other times it is reviled in His perfect timing. Through all
of it we just need to trust in Jesus and believe that He has our best interest
in mind. He knows my heart and He knows what I long for and what I pray for each
day. Until it is His time however I have to learn to be patient and lean on Him.
My life is in His hands and no matter how life turns out we need to learn to
live day by day.
James 3:14-15
Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You
are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought
to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
God is so amazing. The way that He holds His children in His arms when they are
hurting and wishing to be so much closer to Him is incredible. I never realized
how much I needed God until I was dropped by mere human hands and left in the
dirt. He picked me up and allowed me to cry for the pain of hitting the ground,
then brushed me off and is helping me to walk holding His hand.
