A Day in the life...

of an R/A in a girl's dorm...


Life is just funny sometimes and I am humored to look back on all that happened in the last five hours:



In the last five hours I have:

-Practiced guitar

-Had a coffee date with a girl from my hall last year, and caught up on life

-Comforted crying freshman in the hallway who are failing their classes and don't know what to do

-Talked about awkward things our teachers have said (I did NOT start this)They are teaching about Song of Soloman in the Freshman Bible Survey classes right now... that is all I am going to say

-Listened to a girl in my hall share things about her life she's never told anyone before and talk about how the Lord has sustained her in it all (really an amazing story, this girl has been through so much in the last 4 years...more than I could imagine)

-Tried on an authentic Civil War period sun dress and ball gown, hoop skirt and all, one of my girls is involved in war re-enactments...RANDOM! (Pictures will have to tell that story)

-Led some worship songs

-Consented to record myself making farm animal noises for a whole minute to help one of my girls with her creative way to ask someone to the Barn Party.

-Talked about relationships with my roommate, though that is almost an everyday occurance.

-Comforted a friend who's 3-year-long boyfriend just broke up with her

-Evaded, yet again, getting more pages read in my 554 page book due in a week and a half...500 more pages to go...



Who wouldn't want to live this life? Don't answer that :) Really I am grateful for the opportunities in each day that I have to encourage, comfort, and mentor the amazing women in my hall. I learn so much from them and am reminded how deep and complicated and detailed and beautiful each life is. My prayer is that I can be a good steward of the ministry God has given me and still manage to get my homework done...no easy task.

Well, it has been a long day...am I have an 8 am class tomorrow...so I am going to bed.

Mary

An unexpected Blessing

This past Friday we had something very hard happen on our campus. A girl was hospitalized for self-injury. As RAs we all were affected, one of us because she had seen it, one of us because she was her RA and felt the weight of responsibility and the rest of us as we felt the burden of supporting our RA team and being there to "pick up the pieces" of girls in our halls who were close to the situation.

I was given the role of making sure a few girls in my hall were safe from themselves, were being listened to and were stable.

Big job for such little shoulders.

Later that night in talking with a friend and a fellow RA I asked "When did I become qualified for this?" She reminded me that as far as being capable to "fix" the situation, I was not. We each needed to rely on the power of God in these people's lives to bring healing.

She assured me that God had placed me here for a purpose and that he would give me what I needed. It wasn't untill a couple days later now that I realize the truth in their words.

God did prepare me for this, he did equip me for this job and enabled me to be the support these people needed. As I draw on Him for strength He gives me what I need to support others.

The greatest realization came however when I thought about the how. In a conversation on the way to church this morning I realized that through uncommonly difficult circumstances (at least in my opinion) I was brought to a point of knowing my personal need to depend on God and develop a personal realtionship with Him at a young age (12-13ish). What if God's purpose in bringing me to that place so young was to build in me the character needed for such times as these?

My minded reeled for a moment as I considered this thought.

Really? Could God have had purpose in the ways he used all the trials and hard lessons in my life?

Could it be that even in the darkest times of my life, like when my mom died, God could already see a way to work in me that I might be able now- 14 years later- to better comfort someone who's grieving? Could God really have such all-encompassing and specific purposes for the trials of my life?

I think the answer in line with who I know God to be in His word is yes! (1 Peter 1:6-7; 2 Cor. 1:1-4) What a great and profound thought to understand and accept. In the presence of struggle, hardship and pain I can have joy knowing that God is preparing me for greater purposes. (Isn't that the truth of James 1:1-12?)

I feel so blessed (in a way I am only beginning to understand) to have had the trials and struggles that I have had because I know that they have grown me into who I am today and equipped me to better serve my God. It is an unexpected and sometimes hard to accept sort of blessing, but I am grateful for it.

I would encourage all of you who are in Christ to have faith to see how God is using the hard, defining times in your life to shape you and prepare you for great service to Him. God doesn't waste any part of our lives but redeems even the hardest times for His greater purpose. There is great joy in that.

Mary

The long awaited update almost fully a month later...

Really is it October already?! So sorry to everyone who feels like they have no idea what is going on in our lives, (Sorry to the three of you who have been checking :)

Wow, the last time we updated, for real, we were leaving our "family" in Slovenia.

In the last month I have hit the ground running for sure and taken the fall semester of my junior year at Corban College head on. And those who have been able to keep up with me know that there is no exaggeration there.

I have already had my first tests of the semester (Greek and Contemporary Theology today) and I will be giving my first message/sermon tomorrow.


This is a Picture of my R/A Team outside Papa Heyden's in Portland

As an R/A I have started up hall bible study with a discussion about what defines us and am really excieted to lead the girls in a personal growth study on who we are (in Christ, in conflict, in our personalities, in the way we show and recieve love etc.) I am working on writing/putting together the 10 week study based on books I have read and lessons I have learned/am learning.


This is a Picture of my R/A team and our Brother Dorm R/A team

This last month has been an excieting time of new beginnings, a new ministry in my hall, new relationships on campus, and a new roommate. It has also been a time of deep growth in my relationship with Christ as I learn to trust Him to lead me and sustain me when I walk in trials and don't know what is next.


This is a Picture of My Roommate Holly and I at the all school Beach Party

God has been so faithful to have me learn lessons before I get the opportunity to teach them and this has lead to some sweet times of vulnerability and bonding with my hall, friends and classmates.

For example my hall theme this year is "Deeply rooted and growing..." as I prepared for our first event, which was going to be a time of "planting" new goals in our lives as we planted little plants as reminders, I began to pray that God would show me where I need to grow. Faithfully, God gently and specifically put His finger on my personal Bible study times and challenged me to seek to grow in the depth of my study of His word and in building into my life consistant times for prayer, study, reflection and worship. Before I asked my girls to identify their goal I was able to testify to how God had given me a goal and could tell them some of the action steps I had taken to work on it. Cool huh?!



Also I prepared to preach to my Women's Message Prep class on James 1:1-12 about persevering through trials, finding joy in them, seeking wisdom in them and asking God to teach you in them, God spoke those very lessons to my heart.

I can't explain how precious the lessons I've learned about the depth of growth and sweet dependance on God that trials/challenges/tests have brought in the last month. I have actually been able to find joy, and a deep sense on purpose in knowing that God not only knows that I am in a hard time, but it is His will for me to be here right now that I may grow in Him. And I have seen growth in myself already as God is purifying my love for Him, strengthening my trust and teaching me to have faith when the future seems unsure at times.



It is only now being in the midst of learning this that I have the opportunity to share this perspective with my peers. Here is an excerpt from my sermon:

"God desires completeness in us. He brings trials to grow us and make us stronger, not break us. His love and plans for us motivate the trials he places in our way. If you ask for completeness in Christ, trials will come. In the past few weeks I have been challenged to find joy in this place that God has clearly led me to. At first it didn’t seem possible. My joy in this time of trial has been in being able to offer my burden to the Lord. My joy has been in seeing God’s amazing provision of peace amidst a turbulent time for me. My joy has been in realizing that even in time I have been waiting and enduring so far, he has already taught me so much. And He has brought me to a place where I can honestly pray, “Lord, please do not take me from this place of trial until you have accomplished everything you desire in my life.” Our hope is knowing that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. God has purpose for the trials he allows us to face."

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to teach us and grow us. He is so good.

There you have it, long overdue and LONG... I will try to update more than once a month, but I can't promise.

Mary