The Old Cliche of "Finding Yourself"

                Let me tell you about teenager Vikki. Well I still am a teenager, but younger teenager Vikki. You could say that I knew I would go into ministry at around aged 16...but I did not want to. Not at all. I fought it unbelievably, trying to convince myself into attending art school which is what most people wanted for me. I had a talent there at least, the plan was that I would go and study ceramics, people could put their faith into that career for me.
                You see I was the kid who failed every public speaking assignment throughout high school and was the token person who people would be like "Vikki Smyth? who's that?". I had zero influence in these years so thinking that I could ever have any in the future could not even be imagined. The people around me were also skeptical about this thing I deemed a "calling". In my senior year I had to report to the careers staff about what my plans for college were, I told them that I would be going to America to attend Bible college to study ministry, I can remember the exact way they looked at me as they said "Well, Victoria, I really think you should have a plan B...this might only happen".
                Now, if you know me, at all, you will understand that I am pretty stubborn. To the point where it gets me in trouble all the time. I remember the day I finally told God, "OK, I don't get it... but I'll try it, there's nothing to lose and You always get your own way every time". I started my freshman year and as I started to surrender more, as God broke me more, as He rebuilt me, I began to see a change. Disclaimer: the breaking part, it wasn't nice, but it needed done. You see, I was built on a rocky foundation and the ground I was on was about to be pulled from under me.
                 But I came into my freshman year also holding a place the entire year at a University in Northern Ireland with the option of starting my second year there. I am so incredibly glad that I rejected that offer after my first year. I found a passion I didn't know that I had and I have gotten lost in it. I found the person I am meant to be and have an idea of the person I am striving to be.
                 I am not a finished work yet. And believe me, I still have a long way to go. But through all the hard times, I hold onto the hope that all of it has a purpose in this amazing plan that God has intrinsically designed, a life only I can live. And I could not be more excited about that.
               

Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ"