I have heard a rumor here at school that my room is the smallest on campus. As a resident advisor, I live on a floor with 60 freshmen who keep me pretty busy and our dorm kind of looks like a cinderblock. It is a tiny space, about 10 by 10 feet, with white cement walls, and there is barely enough space to open up my bathroom door.
However, when people ask me about my job, I am so excited to tell them how much I love it. While the basic description of my current life seems so simple, how can this be a little piece of bliss? Every time I leave my room, I am greeted by lively residents, friends, who always make me smile. Sometimes they show up at my door when something great just got accomplished, and we celebrate. And when anyone is stressed or concerned, we pour love on each other. Music, dancing, laughter, debates, study sessions, boxes of late night pizza are all very common sights to see any day of the week on my floor. Many nights, herds of us go to the dining hall as a big group. If you are ever lonely, there are definitely friends in the NZ (our lounge) to hang out or study with. I can assure you, there is never really a dull moment.
This is all summarized in one word: community. It soon doesn’t matter that much that we eat dining hall food day in and day out, or that my room is tiny, or that I can barely fit my clothes in my drawers, I live with the 60 most amazing residents I could ever ask for. Getting to know each of them over the past month and a half has been such a blessing. The point is no matter where you are in life, you need people and there are people that need you. And there is something beautiful about that.
If you think you can make it through life alone, you are wrong.
If you think you should do this life alone, you are wrong.
There is joy in sharing and celebrating with one another. There is beauty in coming together for a common cause and seeing God do amazing things. Whether it’s your friends, your mentors, or your family, you are shaped by others and they give you meaning. That can be hard to understand sometimes. Independence has always been a virtue of mine. I’m the type of person to take on something by myself. In a group, I immediately take as much of the responsibility under my own umbrella. I have a tendency to find so much satisfaction in what I can do and what I can accomplish. While an individual work ethic is an amazing quality to have, it shouldn’t be separated from the scope of community.
I am looking forward to the challenge of creating a community through this fundraising process. While it can be difficult, frustrating, and intimidating, I believe greater things can come from a collective of hearts. I recognize that I am apart of something much larger than myself, and sometimes, we need to fully embrace that in a real way. Along this journey, I am excited to see not only how God can use me as an individual, but I am excited to celebrate with those who I call an extended family as we see what God can do through us.
