"One of the most important things a person can do while in college is invest in a relationship with God that's personal, practical, meaningful, and dynamic!"
That's what a campus minister said to me when I was a freshman. I think I remember being polite enough to walk away before letting a huge yawn rip. To my way of thinking, those adjectives used to describe the "important relationship with God" looked like oxymorons and added to my confusion. Soon I was buried beneath an overwhelming backlog of homework, parental anxiety attacks vented weekly via telephone..."are you studying?....are you going to class?", and four-year relationship on the rocks. My friends were great comediennes about these things, but unable to help me face the mounting weight on my shoulders.
Then the campus minister came around again. His words of forgiveness, freedom from guilt, and peace glued themselves to my brain. There was no denying the fact that what he was talking about was exactly what I felt I needed. That Christmas, I went home and late on night got down on my knees and asked God to take me and do what He could. It wasn't like the heavens parted and angels sang...but I slept better that night, and most nights following, than I had ever before, and that's just the beginning of the difference. THat Christmas wasn't an emotional act of existential desperation, but a real philosophical paradigm shift...more evidence that I believe that God was behind it!
A degree and many years later, I continue to enjoy the gift that God gave me that holiday....the gift of peace, joy, love, forgiveness, and real purpose. Being a campus minister is a real privilege because it allows me to daily see God still giving such awesome gifts to those who ask Him.