The last two days have been those kind of days that you would like to sink your teeth into and chew on forever! Campus ministry is an ever-moving, ever-changing pendulum - ups and downs brought on by the very essence of those to whom we are ministering. College students do not move their pendulums in small, easy strides; no, their moods and staccato circumstances will swing their pendulums from side to side at a fast-paced, dizzying fervor. I never know what a phone call will hold, what an email will reveal to me, or what I will find when I meet up with one of our students on campus.
Yesterday I met with six girls for our regular Wednesday "Girl Talk" -- we are in the book of Proverbs right now and it has been incredible. There's so much in there for them today, but I think that really surprises them. I call it "Ancient wisdom for our Contemporary world". It fits. Yesterday the girls were candid, focused, and really into the discussion. It was one of those times when I really felt that we were connecting. (However, I have learned that my feelings of whether I am really connecting with these students or not are not always accurate -- they amaze me by what they really get even when I think they are zoned out!)
After the Bible study I always meet with one of the students for a "coffee" chat in one of the very nice coffee shops on campus. This particular girl has been striving, stressing, straining with what she was called to do in life. Her pendulum seems to swing out of sync and way too fast most of the time. However, she is an extremely intelligent girl and I enjoy our lively dialogue anytime we're together! Yesterday she brought me a brochure about a biblical seminary that has a major in Christian Apologetics and then on to a PhD in Religion. Professor perhaps? There's many possibilities, but she seemed more settled and very excited about this! Ah, a small, gentle stroke of the pendulum for her....for a while.
While in the coffee shop, another student that I admire so much because of what she has experienced in her life and how she desires to love God with her whole being despite her circumstances, came up and threw her arms around me! She was excited because everything had worked out for her to register for second semester and she had gotten the classes she wanted. Ah, another slow swing of the pendulum.
This morning I received an email from a girl that has not been a Christian but a month, but has already wrapped herself around our hearts and campus family. She was $900 in debt and the school was not allowing her to register for second semester until this debt was taken care of. We told her a couple of weeks ago, in complete faith, that we believed God would show Himself to her in a very special way. Today she affirmed that God did just that! Her church family gave her a check for $900 to pay this semester's debt and she has registered for second semester. She's riding high on God's goodness today.
Just as the pendulum on the antique clock on our mantle moves in a soothing, slow, rhythmic motion, I am enjoying these days when our college students are moving that way, too!!
