So as you have noticed, I have found that spare time really isn't a thing in college. I guess I thought that I would actually have time to sit down and write my blog the first Sunday of every month. I also thought 'wow I will have so much spare time to think about what to write about and I will have new and fresh ideas to publish since I will be a big time college student.' While that might not be exactly the case, I do have some things to share with you about my experience so far here at Liberty University.
The days and months leading up to my departure for LU was kind of a waiting game. I found myself waiting around to start school so I could start 'living the next part of my life.' That was probably the weirdest stage of my life and it still is. Graduating High School and saying goodbye to everything in it is a good thing, sounds weird right? Well yeah it sounded weird to me as well. But the things I have learned through so many confusing and enlightening things in these past few weeks in my freshman year that I actually have to step back to tell myself I have at least three more years of this!
It was the week of August 10th that I had to bite the bullet on packing for my college experience. Fellow college students and well graduated personnel laugh while the upcoming college students sit back and fear for this part of going to college. Especially being at a school that isn't too far from home but far enough that a vastly dressed young woman like myself cannot go home every other weekend to swap out cardigans or sandals for boots. Packing not only your clothes but life up is a hard thing to do and yeah it took me a couple of days to do that. It was that week of move in day that I was so busy with thinking about what was ahead that I forgot what I was leaving until almost two months. Saying goodbye, for now, to these types of things wasn't a huge breaking in my life but it caused me to think about things more than ever. It felt like that time of leaving my little town in PA would never come but at 3 am on August 14th came like a gasp of breath.
I found myself in the back of our family car packed to the top with my life possessions, my sister next to me and my parents manning the front seats. It sunk in slowly then all at once. Of course sleep is such a beautiful thing on those 4 to 5 hour car rides. But as soon as I woke, it was time. Next thing I knew the student leadership was surrounding our car to get all of my belongings and the kitchen sink up to my dorm. I quickly discovered I would have a joyous time going back to my room every night being on the fourth floor, but I was beyond grateful God didn't make me become super active by being on the sixth! But once I had gotten settled in I had to realize there was a need for me to not only get accustomed to my roommate but about 50 other girls living on the hall. There was a small fear in me of how I was going to make friends. It sounds depressing, I know...but all through grade school those friends you make just seem to come. Sure I can think of times where me and my good friends now had met. I was suddenly thinking Am I going to make any friends? What about a boy? I mean it is my time for that now. I am expected to have tons of girlfriends in pictures with me drinking lattes every weekend labeled ' Glad I have met these girls' and sooner or later a picture with a Godly boy that is ' the one'.
A day after move in day was my 19th birthday. It was weird not being able to celebrate in the comfort of my home I felt...old. My parents and sister came out to lunch with me to celebrate but I was just overcome not by sadness that they would be leaving shortly after the lunch but I just knew change was coming. I realized, well...this was it. I have been looking up to the time where I would be out of grade school and my hometown to face the reality of being a young adult. It was a good but weird uncomfortable feeling several people can probably not explain in words. Because when you see your family drive away to not see them for more than a month and to see you future the only way forward is a shock. It's weird and scary at times but it is the biggest promise in this next step for me and those around me. It's the way, in this case...the Liberty Way.
There is this thing at Liberty that well, could come as quite a shock to you. It's this rather funny slogan called 'ring by spring'. You will get a glimpse at how only being a student here you see how we know that we have boundaries on dress code or PDA and religion and what not. Sounds like a correctional center more than a college right? It is far from that and now I see these 'restrictions' as more of future guidelines I first worried that I was being brainwashed of the Liberty Way. Sounds crazy because it makes my school sound like a really awesome place to be right! (Sarcasm inserted) But the ring thing. So there is this rather ironic joke that is apparent to all students here. Being a Christian we are called to carry out our morals from our faith into our relationship aspect. So more than half of the students have been through that trusting period of life where we just want to date that guy or girl because well, we want to be a teenager. And its our turn for love! A lot of young adults besides religious ones often wait for college to have that true chance at love. It is just the time where we are truly in the real world which calls for, real relationships. So when you step onto the LU grounds you will be surrounded with several good looking children of God. It's true. But no mom and dad I didn't just come here to get my Mrs. Degree. These people are the Christian Mingle applicants in person, people!! And we have our pick at them being a student here. Because well, we have all waited patiently through Christ to bring us that one person. But wait...you find that one person. That beautiful girl in Evangelism class that your professor interviewed in class to find out then advertise that well...she's single!! Or that boy that sings like an angel and plays the guitar perfectly plus loves the Lord is at your reach everyday. If you snatch up one of these well you better hold tight because there better be a ring by spring.
Okay, LU is not some school that is a huge relationship hunting ground. That is one thing that I truly love about this school. We realize the assumptions made about our school and mission so we take that to embrace it. The students as well as the professors embrace the jokes about this school. We all know that we can't kiss on campus or wear shorts to class. To other people that makes our campus sound like a strict penitentiary but to us, it is the way or the Liberty Way. Yeah some of the rules stink sometimes and are different from what we are used to but it makes you think about what God see's as something acceptable. And no I am not defending these things because I have been brainwashed by LU, I have seen both sides of the world. I have seen the difference between Christians and Christians. Sounds dumb and judgmental but I have seen the extremes of what faith or religion or the love of Christ looks like beyond my home town.
The amount of opportunity beyond LU or any college campus is so astounding. We wake up every single day to have awesome chances at our reach. But the sad thing is...people don't reach for them. I think when we are able to come to the point where we recognize the impact we encounter in these circumstances are approaches change automatically. Below I am going to recreate some of my journal entries while being here and what the presence of the Lord is doing in my life so far on this journey.
8-25-14: "Priceless Value of Knowing Christ"
-once what was my valuable is worthless because of Christ
-just knowing Him is more than any worth
-"I become righteous through faith in Christ"
I do not realize that people are being killed for their faith. I need to take the chance I have to worship the Lord and run with it. Being in the word daily with reflection is such a downfall of mine and I hope and pray that becomes my life. That there isn't day that I don't praise the Lord. And I also hope to see the day where people do not know of exile.
~Phil. 3:1-11
8-26-14:
-we don't have to perfect everything in order to push on for we will never fully complete everything
-God is calling us to run the race so we will receive the prize He has
"We must hold on to the progress we have already made."
-He will restore a new power within us
When I think about trying new things and making progress I think that I need to start over. But I now see and marvel at how I must hold on dearly to the progress not only I have made but the focus on the body of Christ. This can often be confusing and weird to locate. But pushing on to finish the race is the best story we could ever be a part of.
9-1-14: Because of God's grace...
- your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing
-the endurance and faithfulness when in hard times is seen
"And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of this kingdom, for which you are suffering." ~2 Thessalonians 1:5
-He provides rest
-He will receive glory on "the day" and praise as we go home with Him
-Pray: For you and others to live a life worthy of His calling
-your faith prompts you to do good things
-He is honored by the things we do and we are honored along with that because it displays the ultimate image Christ tended to be
9-8-14:
Everything here is different. A good kind of different. it is as little weird to go to other churches where the police come with flashing lights to direct traffic into the parking lot. being in other churches, classes beside high school, a room other than my own...it's different but it's my life. It is a beginning of something else. I look around to see people I don't know but I know the love of Christ is all around me. it's weird to think they are all in the same spot as me even if they are an upperclassmen. We are all figuring out life beyond what we have known. being in a Christian university people question and state that I live in a bubble. But I couldn't feel more alive in a bubble that has burst. Yeah religion aspects are around me daily but He is what we are living for. I realize life has things like jobs and mortgages in reality. This is my reality. Ministry is my reality. It may not be crystal clear right now but life isn't set to have a map telling us where to go. There are so many things ahead of me that could start off "the dream" I just hope I take them by the horns. I have seen faith, God, religion, worship in so many different lights that are not matching up to my mind. It is all similar but it's not which is a good thing I guess. I see and hold the ability to great things.
