"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all of their troubles" -Psalm 34:17. This is a verse that I have found myself going to a lot lately.  After my Grandmother passed away first semester I was having a lot of trouble figuring out how to handle it. I tried going to friends and talking to family, but my friends didn't really understand, and my family would just break down and cry whenever I talked about it. That's when I decided to get my Bible out. It had been a while since i'd read it since I had been so busy adjusting to the college work load, but as soon as I opened it, I knew I had come to the right place. I started reading and I just felt a sense of peace and comfort. Things got better after that. I was still upset about it and I missed her, but I just kept reading the word and I took comfort in knowing that she is in the arms of Jesus and that she is being loved unconditionally. As the semester went on, I kept reading the Bible every chance I got. However, recently another incident has happened and I found myself going to the same verse. I had a dear friend pass away a few years back in a car accident, and I had a very hard time coping with the loss. About a week ago his best friend also died in a car accident. This was extremely hard for me because they were both good friends to me.  When I heard of the death of my friend last Sunday I had an overwhelming feeling of sadness and confusion as to why God would take yet another person that meant so much to me. But just like my Grandma, I had to realize that he is in a better place now and that everything is in Gods hands and everything happens for a reason. It is comforting knowing that he is in the arms of the Lord and I bet that his best friend welcomed him to heaven with open arms. 

 

I am SO grateful to have met all of the sisters and candidates of SAO, and I cannot wait to start this new chapter in my life!

 

- Anna Stallings