“I struggled with discerning God’s call. I wanted to know that summer project wasn’t just a good thing to do. I wanted to know that summer project was the God thing to do.”

Apply this:

What pressures from the world are you experiencing?

Who are quality people that you can go to for good advice?

Spend time in prayer asking the Lord what he has for your summer.

Jacob struggled with having other summer requirements.

How did that obstacle make you feel at the time?

As a biochemistry major thinking about medical school, it is crucial that the student gets summer experience job shadowing, doing research, or holding a medically related summer employment in order for entry into grad-school. So I felt a lot of pressure from the world to prepare for the future. I was very stressed and thinking about summer project was really nerve-wracking. My parents were very hesitant about letting me go as well because whatever work I would be doing on summer project wouldn’t be related to the science field. I struggled with discerning God’s call. I wanted to know that summer project wasn’t just a good thing to do. I wanted to know that summer project was the God thing to do.

What was the turning point? What made you realize God was calling you to go on summer project?

I spoke to a classmate about my stressful feelings and confusion about summer project and she recommended that I pray by myself and then pray with my parents about summer project. This was the turning point because my parents were surprisingly supportive after much prayer together. I was surprised to hear my mom tell me that I should spend a summer serving and learning more about God.

I realized that God was calling me to go on a summer project because I had friends who had gone on a summer project and they told me about things that they couldn’t explain and they knew it was God working. I wanted to be a part of that. After talking to my friends, my pastor and my parents, I knew I was being called to summer project. I even talked to some professors who told me that med schools like to see applicants who spent a summer serving. All of that support was surprising.

What practical steps did you take during the process? 

I asked for advice from friends and my pastor and spent a lot of time in prayer, especially with my parents and by myself.

What do you recommend to others who face a similar obstacle?

Do the God thing, not the good thing. Planning ahead and preparing for the future is a good thing. There are a ton of good things you can do for yourself and your future. But you do have the choice to follow God’s calling and it’s 10 times more worth following God’s calling than your own. Pray about it. 

Jacob attended North Myrtle Beach Summer Project in 2011.