God is faithful! For the last 5 years, I’ve been blessed with an amazing University and amazing friends. The community here on campus continually moves me, challenges me, and loves me. Without a doubt, I am sure I will always remember these years as some of the best. This weekend the Christian group on campus has been at a conference in Pierre, SD. The focus for the week has been evangelism. Prior to the conference, I was struggling with the fact that I’m in my last semester… but I wasn’t exactly sure what was tugging on my heart.
One of the student speakers hit the nail on the head. He spoke of the urgency of the gospel. I realized that at the end of 5 years of college I was feeling the weight of regrets that I have from 5 years and the urgency of my final few months on campus. I have a minimum of 50 regrets from college and they are all called “the person that sat next to me in class” How many opportunities did I miss? How many chances did I have to invite someone to church or to small group or to share the gospel with them and didn’t?
I felt convicted by the speakers. Another session talked about the barriers we have to witnessing to those around us. They listed a series of excuses… every single one of which I am guilty of repeatedly.
The point is God placed his finger on my heart this weekend. A place that I desperately needed some encouragement, hope, and correction. I’ve let many moments pass by where I could have shared the gospel. I haven’t been very bold and I am not very vocal about my faith. I’m not very social or vocal in class at all to begin with! I’ve been sucked into a very sneaky trap called comfort. It’s comfortable to not place your reputation on the line to speak out or talk to classmates about Jesus. It’s comfortable to fly under the radar. It’s comfortable for me not to engage in conversation. It’s comfortable to just get your school work done and move on to the next class.
Now all that is to say something even greater…
God’s love renews our hope continually.
The story of the prodigal son, or the found son, as I like to call it, was the scripture we studied this weekend. In it, the son’s laments of his unworthiness were cut short by his Father running out to him and showering his love on him. The older son’s complaints were cut short by his Father’s reassurance that he has always been with him and that everything the Father has is also the sons and to rejoice in the return of the brother. In short, the regrets I felt from all the missed opportunities I had over 5 years on campus are quickly erased with the simple words from a good song:
“I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way that He loves us”
I’ve been blessed with 5 amazing years with an amazing community. God has changed and transformed my life in so many ways. He’s corrected me and pointed out some very uncomfortable sins. He has always been faithful, and always been there to comfort, teach, and guide me through college. He continually provides, and unconditionally loves. What greater joy is there than that?
I have three remaining months in school. At a moment when I was feeling the weight and urgency of drawing my time here to an end, God has filled not just me but friends I’ve known since freshman year and early on in college with a renewed sense of hope and love for our campus. Surely, He heals. Surely, He loves.
There is one semester left and God has placed a call on my heart. Nathan, Give me your Campus. My studies have always been mine. Campus is a place I haven’t fully surrendered to God. It’s still my place to learn. It’s still my place to workout. It’s still my place to study. It’s still MY place. Now the final semester is here and in order for my college experience to be complete this is the step of obedience God is asking me to take. The Greek word Teleios has become one of my favorites. It means to be perfect, final, not lacking anything, fulfilled, complete in everyway. School is drawing to a close in my life. I want to finish and see my college experience full in every way. This is the last step, the last semester to see that through. To see my 5 years at college become Teleios.
I can only look forward to the joy of seeing his work in our lives and on campus in this final semester. Finish strong. Pray for me, and the hearts of students on campus. May God work in big ways on my heart and on campus! May his name be made greater in my life and in our school!
If you have any questions at all or want to talk more about what God is doing in my life give me a call or email! There’s soooooooo much more than I can post in a blog. I’d love to hear from you!
605-951-2751
