God has provided everything we need
Crystal Dill had all the odds stacked against her finishing college.
She was a single mother and living paycheque to paycheque.
Although she was enrolled in part-time study at the Bermuda College, fulfilling her dream seemed next to impossible.
Then God called her out of her comfort zone and urged her to enrol full-time in a university overseas.
“My faith played a major role in my moving to New Jersey to attend Kean University,” the 29-year-old said.
“I was told by many people that I would fail, and that I should reconsider returning to school at my age. I was also told that I would not be a good candidate for scholarships so I shouldn’t even apply.
“After being told so many negative things I started to think that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. But I had to remind myself that God had another plan for me that would not take effect unless I took the first step.
“Every time I got a little discouraged, God would send someone who spoke positive, uplifting words that kept me going. God seemed to open doors and everything seemed to fall into place seamlessly.”
She was able to get a scholarship with Knowledge Quest Ltd based on her financial need and desire to go back to school. She then found a great school for her seven-year-old daughter, Deonae, secured an apartment and even found a new church home.
It allowed her to pursue a degree in her dream career of helping others. “Along this journey I’ve received confirmation upon confirmation that this is what God’s plan is for us,” Ms Dill said.
“While I was in high school I was an average C or C+ student, and on occasion a B, which was a miracle in my eyes. I’ve kept God as my centre and I can proudly say that my GPA for the fall 2014 semester was 3.925, and spring 2015 was 4.0 which is a miracle!”
Ms Dill said she had lots of family support, which helped to ease the transition.
She and her daughter quickly settled into a routine.
Ms Dill would work on her homework until her daughter got out of school, then they would go through Deonae’s schoolwork together, have free time baking, colouring or watching a movie before having dinner and going off to bed.
“This routine worked out great because at no time did Deonae feel neglected, or that I was too busy to do the things that were important to her,” Ms Dill said.
“I didn’t start working on campus until a few weeks after the spring 2015 semester finished, so working didn’t interfere with the schedule we had already established.”
One of the biggest challenges Ms Dill faced was helping Deonae through her feelings of homesickness.
“It actually seemed to get worse once we returned to New Jersey from our Christmas break in Bermuda,” she said.
“There were several days she would cry randomly because she missed her family in Bermuda. But after a month it seemed to get better and things returned to our ‘normal’.”
There were also times when money was getting painfully low and she didn’t know how they’d continue.
However, she believes God strategically placed people in her life to come alongside and help them.
“I can honestly say that nothing is impossible for God if you have faith and trust that it is already done. I absolutely trust God more now than before.
“I am living, and pursuing a dream that I have had many years ago that seemed impossible.
“I’m also sharing this experience with my daughter and loving every minute of it. God has provided everything we need and regardless of what people have to say I will continue to trust and serve Him wholeheartedly.”
One of the biggest rewards over the past year has been seeing how much her daughter now looks up to her.
“One day [Deonae came home] from school and told me that her teacher had asked each student what they wanted to be when they grew up.
“She told the class that she wanted to be just like me, and attend Kean University. That actually brought tears to my eyes, and I felt so proud.”
To read more on Ms Dill’s testimony see story below.
Like many young people, Crystal Dill grew up going to church with her parents.
But when she became a teenager, she opted to stay at home instead.
“I wanted to do things my way and church wasn’t a part of the plan,” she explained.
“When I was 16 years old I began attending the Seventh-day Adventist Church because I was dating someone who was a member. I ended up joining for what I know now was all the wrong reasons.
“Once the relationship had ended a few years later, I no longer attended church, which led to a nine-year hiatus.”
Then in 2012, God really started to move in her life.
She had grown frustrated and tired with the way she was living.
She took strength from her uncle Lawrence Dill’s faith as he battled with cancer.
“He and my Aunt Karen had such peace, deep faith in God, and an amazing love despite what they were facing, it started to affect the way I was seeing things,” Ms Dill said.
“What I also did not know at the time was that my parents were constantly praying for me.
“I realised that I had hit my ‘rock bottom’ and while visiting Cornerstone Bible Fellowship (the church my family attended) I felt like I was the only person in the room, and Pastor Gary [Simons] was speaking directly to me.
“I decided it couldn’t get any worse, and I might as well give God a try. I answered the altar call and rededicated my life to God. I decided that if I was really going to give this ‘Christian life’ a try, I had to give it 100 per cent.”
Her life hasn’t been the same since.
God worked to take away all of her disappointment, brokenness, guilt and shame and transformed her life into something beautiful.
“I felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of my chest, and that I could breathe again,” she said. “My life began to transform and the things that I used to enjoy (that were so destructive to my life), no longer were of interest to me.
“It was at this point that my faith became real, and I could feel from deep within that I was loved and nothing would ever be the same again.”
