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Reflections on My Year in Dublin

ARPC Young Adults Small Group. This was taken at my last ever time at Young Adults on 19-05-2017.

 In September of 2014 I started studying Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast. As a compulsory part of my degree, I had to do a paid placement year in between second and third (final) year. The company that offered me a paid placement is called Oracle. They’re an American company and I’ve been based in their Dublin offices since June last year. As of Friday 21st April I'm finished.

As I finished off second year of university, I was wondering what Dublin would be like. I had found a house to live in, but had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know what Church I could go to, I didn’t know what the work would be like, I didn’t know how to count Euros, and so on. I was worried, afraid of the unknown. 

It took a while to get used to life in the capital of the Republic of Ireland back when I started at the end of June last year. But after a few weeks of being there, I started to figure things out. I found a great Church to attend, Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church, made lots of friends around the same age as me, and really settled in well. An integral part of my time in Dublin was Trinity College Christian Union. I've always been very involved in QUB CU since starting at QUB, so it was only natural that I'd get stuck into TCD CU while in Dublin. Both ARPC (especially the Young Adults small group) and TCD CU have been families to me in a city were I thought I'd be all alone.

In Philippians 4:6-7, we read “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God has used these two verses to remind me that He is in control and He is sovereign. I didn’t know what to expect in Dublin, but He was there before me preparing the way.  

In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” This passage from Isaiah reminds me that God has placed me in Dublin for a reason, and that has became all the more evident as I’ve drawn near to the end of my time in the city. He sees the full picture, we only see a little part of it. Therefore it follows that His plans are better than ours, His ways are better than ours. He is always good. I’ve broadened my horizons so much by being in such a multicultural city and Church. God has taught me so much through His Word, through others and through Christian books. He has used this time of being away from home to deepen my faith and strengthen my trust in him, and for that I’m eternally grateful! 

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:33

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