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What Past Students Say
Sarah Conner is currently a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder
Four years ago, I boarded a plane to Missouri. My parents drove to and from the airports with the child-locks on, to prevent me from carrying out my own travel plans, which primarily included not moving to Branson in the middle of my junior year. Needless to say, my parent’s wishes superceded mine, and off to Branson I went, carrying luggage they had packed without my knowledge.
Teenagers are not especially well behaved when they are not getting what they want, and I was no exception. I was an abrasive, dishonest, eating-disordered teenager who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. I wanted to graduate with my class, to be in the senior theatre production, to call my best friend, and none of those plans included a flight to Branson. My parents, however, knew what I needed, and I thank them every day for providing me with it despite my efforts to make them miserable in their decisions. I wonder now how long I would have lasted without their guidance. (Not very long.)
I knew God was working miracles in my heart about a year ago, almost halfway through college and two years after I left the Branson campus. This last year has been one of miraculous healing, restoration, and answered prayers. And while this was not in what most consider the “Shelterwood timeline,” my mind immediately went back to the caring people of Shelterwood and LeadTime, and how they had loved me at my worst, and never stopped praying for me even after I left Branson behind. I will always aspire to show love like they did, and I can only hope that I can reciprocate the incredible caring that I found there, even when I least appreciated it.
I only wish I could give the “If I knew then what I know now...” speech to every struggling teenager I see. Not that I think that I have the world figured out (because I don’t...at all...), but I have figured out these important lessons:
- God is good and His grace is big.
- Don’t do stupid stuff.
- My parents are, by all counts, cool people.
- Take advantage of every opportunity to do the right thing.
Shelterwood is an amazing opportunity for a lot of teens to learn these life lessons in a safe environment, instead of learning the hard way in their adult life. While this seems like a hard decision in high school, it has the potential to save so much pain and heartache. I cannot tell you how much I love and respect my parents for making the hard choice to put me on that plane. (Really. I promise)
God has blessed my life now with incredible healing that I could never imagine nor deserve. I love telling people about how my life has changed since then, and give the glory to God and those who do his work, which I can wholeheartedly say personifies those at Shelterwood. I graduate college next year, and I can’t wait to work in ministry and change lives to the extent that mine has been changed.