This right here, these next six weeks are the craziest part of my year. That span from the first week of school until our annual Fall Retreat means crazy busy exhaustion, that is oh so worth it. My freshman year, my heart was won over to the Lord in the first six weeks of school, and I know so many people that have that same story. This time is crucial and I’m excited.

But to be honest, I’m also exhausted. The craziness of wedding season just ended and I’m just plain tired. Last year during our winter conference, Radiate, I sat down and wrote to the Lord about my thoughts. I like journaling so I can go back and be encouraged by what I learned in the past or what God has down in the past. When I wrote this last December, I knew I’d need to look back and be encouraged, to be reminded how much campus ministry matters. How much my job matters. And this is what I wrote:

This job is not small, it’s heavy and large. It changes lives and affects hearts. God uses it. You don’t forget the ones who lead you out of darkness. I certainly don’t forget those that reached their hand into my pit, a flash of light in the abyss around me, offering life. I sit here surrounded by the buzz of students who love Jesus dearly and treasure Him fully and my job is to be with them and point them to You. That is absurd. Why me Lord? Because you use ordinary people to change the world. I hope I never feel above my ordinariness. That I never feel qualified, but instead – chosen. seated. invited graciously into the family. I don’t have anything to prove, none of my own merit, but all of Christ’s.

And I still mean that with all of my heart. The next six weeks start right, now.

This is my staff team from last year :] We’re in this battle together.

And of course, the reason we’re in this battle at all. Our students.