'Tis the Season

It is always amazing to me how fast the college semester goes. I am sure you have experienced this in other things you have done as well.  It takes so much preparation to get ready for the fall semester, so much planning, organizing, training, etc. Then when you are in the thick of it, you have your head down and you're just grinding out events, meetings, bible studies, and relationships. But all of a sudden, the end sneaks up on you and then you realize it is almost over. 

When the semester ends in college ministry, there is great joy but also profound sadness. Each time we finish another term, different students graduate and never come back. Of course, we still maintain a friendship and keep up on social media, but you no longer see them around in everyday college life.  

Each December, right before finals, our student leadership teams plan a Christmas party and we usually try to go all out. This year it was a real bonus because one of our student leaders works at Chick-fil-A and got us a huge discount on party platters. Along with the great Christmas music and a short devotional, we played some fun games and exchanged gifts.

I had said to the students the week before if you want to get dressed up, that would be great. So if you take another look at the group picture one student came in a chicken costume. I asked him, "Why?" and he said, "I thought I wanted you us to get dressed up?" The night went better than planned and around 9 pm I was ready to get out of there. Only the core team of students was still there cleaning up. When we were all done, one of the students who got a deck of Uno cards as their gift said we should play a game. On the inside, I was protesting because I was so tired and I wanted to go home, but I sat down anyway. 

I am so glad I did: We had so much fun, talking about the chicken costume, fun times during the semester, changed lives, and so on. Then it hit me that this could be the last time this group of students will ever be in the same place at the same time. It was a sobering moment because as always I am saying goodbye to students that I love.

In Luke 2, the Jesus birth story talks about how the shepherds came to Bethlehem to see "the Savior" Jesus. I am sure they were super excited, very loud and didn't know what to say but they said a lot anyway. As the chaos of their visit was taking place, Luke Chapter 2:18 says, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." She knew. She wasn't ready and didn't know what to expect, but she knew.  

We love our students and as they leave our colleges and universities, God is going to do great things in and through their lives. Along the way, you and I get to speak the truth to them, wrap our arms around them, and pray for them. We too can treasure all these things and ponder them in our hearts. Jesus is the absolute best gift this Christmas and every day of our lives. Thanks so much for journeying with us, and praying for us and these students both on the campus and beyond.