It’s that time of year again. Summer is cooling down and Target is filled with specials on bookcases and bedding and televisions, stocking up for the incoming college freshman. For me this means that school is starting up again and the busiest season in college ministry is approaching. I can feel my anticipation mounting every day. The first six weeks of school are absolutely exhausting, but they are such a blessing. I’m so excited to just be able to sit down and meet with younger women and hear about their lives. I’m overjoyed right now to be able to listen to them and make them feel loved by simply shutting my mouth and opening my ears. At this time of year I always remember what it was like to come into school as a freshman, I was lost and insecure and really scared. My first comfort was meeting my friend Nicolette who simply listened to me and asked me about my life. No one had ever done that before. So this year I can’t wait to be someone else’s Nicolette, to listen to them and help them carry their burden.
The best part about working for Cru is the way that they take care of you as individuals. Our staff team just went on a retreat to kick off the year and it was so refreshing to get away from normality and sit out by the water. We laughed together and had fun together. We got to know each other better and jumped off a two story dock together. We even took out the pontoon in the pouring rain. In the midst of it all it was easy to look around and see God. At one point when we parked the pontoon and were swimming around I went just far enough underwater so I couldn’t hear and could look out on the scenery uninterrupted by other’s splashes and laughs. What I saw was the scene above. I was just blown away. I was instantly calmed and centered. I don’t know why, but looking out over that pasture and floating on the water brought peace to my soul.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible, Psalm 63:3, starts “because Your love is better than life…my lips will praise You.” I’ve just been thinking about that a lot for this year. That’s why we suffer and bear through it. It’s why we fight the hard battles and hope for something more than it all. His love is worth the battle.
