About two weeks ago, I started continually praying this prayer. I was getting ready to start training for Student Orientation Staff, getting ready to spend days with incoming freshmen, and getting ready to gear up for the new school year. I prayed over and over that the Father would pour out his good gifts on me, my SOS staff, the freshmen, and my school. But I had no idea what to expect.
I’m starting my third year at Central Baptist College and I can’t even begin to describe the good gifts I’ve received since I started school there. The gifts have been abundantly more than I could have asked for. A lot of times, I didn’t understand it at the time, but even in the hard times, the gifts were still there. As I began preparing my heart for the new school year, I started thinking about goals and things I wanted to accomplish but part of me still felt kind of empty. I began asking the Lord to show me what HE wanted me to do over the school year (isn’t it funny how when we began to follow our desires and goals, God shows up with something completely different?). And He did. He whispered to my heart a simple word—intentional. That’s what He wants from me this year. He wants me to be intentional in everything I do. So as I began realizing this, I started praying for ways that I could be intentional during M.U.D. Week and I came up with a few so I thought I was good and we were going to have an easy week. I was wrong.
Day after day I came home completely exhausted thinking that there was no way that I could give any more than what I had given that day. But each morning the Lord filled me and I would go about the activities for the day.
About halfway through the week, I was feeling completely discouraged. I was doing my best to be intentional, but I was tired. I was drained. I was just worn out. And ABSOLUTELY discouraged. So I went back to my previous prayer of asking for good gifts to help me through the tiring days. And I was completely blown away.
Each night all the members of SOS had a meeting and we would give out starfish awards. Basically it’s a time for us to brag on each other and notice when people do something that makes a difference for someone else. It’s really an incredible time because it’s so humbling and encouraging. I began to think that this time of starfish stories was the good gift I had asked for—but once again, I was wrong.
Last night was our last night of SOS for 2015. And let me tell you, it’s sad. We were sitting at our party just laughing and talking and it felt like we’d all been best friends for forever. Then we were starting to get ready to do my favorite thing of the week and I was just so overwhelmed with gratitude for them. Everyone stands in a circle and we all have a chance to share what SOS meant to us, something we learned through the week, pretty much anything you wanted to share with the group. I decided I wanted to go first because it usually turns into this big cry fest and I thought I wouldn’t cry if I went first (hey, I was wrong again). I began talking about how thankful I was for the group and their love and encouragement throughout the week and that’s when it hit me.
SOS was my good gift from the Father. I looked around at 25ish faces and saw nothing but good gifts. Good gifts that would have NEVER been a part of my life without CBC or MUD Week. The Lord blessed me far more than I could ever have asked for with SOS this year. I’m blown away by the closeness and amount of love and support they each showed me during the week. And my heart was so overwhelmed because I am so thankful. I got to laugh and cry with some of the greatest gifts I could have asked for last night.
I’m so excited to see what’s in store for me this year and I’m waiting with big expectations. But my heart is overjoyed in knowing I have a
SOS, I truly can’t thank you enough. Thank you for being the greatest gifts this week.
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