By Kayelyn Rochester

The day before graduation I sat around a table having tea (yes, having tea) with seven other girls who just finished their first semester of seminary. One of the girls asked if we could go around the table and reflect on what we learned this semester. I giggled a bit and elected to go last in order to answer for my entire time and challenge these ladies for the semesters to come. What I did not expect was to get choked up at the goodness of our Father and at the amazement of the semesters to come when these ladies would be completely transformed.

Just before I sat down with those ladies for tea, I was sitting in graduation rehearsal and the only word I could say and think about was, “wow!”  Seems crazy but I was about to walk across a stage with a Masters degree.  If you know me, you would have never thought I was one to further my education, I would rather be in a gym with a basketball in hand.  But I serve such a powerful, merciful, gracious Father who called me out of the gym to such a bigger plan. See, “my” plan was to always be a high school Physical Education teacher and coach basketball. I never planned on furthering my degree, let alone going to a Seminary to do so. But the Lord moves in mighty ways and calls us all in different directions and paths than what we expect. So August 2013, straight out of college, I started at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary focusing on Christian Education, with the idea of going into Sports Ministry.

So, let’s go back to that table of first semester students, and let me tell you what I learned my three and a half years at Southeastern…

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