Seasons Well Spent
It's a weird thing, putting strangers under one roof and expecting them to navigate through life together. But it is also a beautiful thing. One that I have been trying to find the words to describe, but simply can't. Yet, here I am again trying to do so.
Seven bedrooms. Sixteen young women. Sixteen different personalities, life stories, and paths. All crossing for reasons I can't even pretend to understand.
Fifteen lives who have blessed my one life immensely.
Sixteen strangers placed in one dorm wing under one constant prayer, "Lord, have your way."
It's funny what can happen when you allow yourself to mutter those words, and mean it. Of course, many times I had to repeat that simple yet powerful prayer over and over again to convince myself I truly wanted it. His way comes at a cost, sometimes an exhausting or painful one, but His faithfulness always proves to be worth it.
As an Resident Assistant at WJU, I expected that I would spend most of my time pouring into the lives of the girls I lived with. I thought I was going to be able to live out a ministry to whoever ended up living in my wing. I had lists of ideas lists of occasions. I wanted to give my all to each young lady that moved into each room in my wing. However, I was quickly humbled.
I was nobody's source, or minister, or provider of fun or bonding or anything else my lists sought to provide. These ladies weren't mine. They never were and they never will be. Each young lady that I was blessed to live with this past year is created for more than something I could even imagine. Each life story is unique because their Creator has made them unique. Each step they take is unique to their specific journey. Their source? That needs to forever be the Unlimited power and strength of the Almighty God. That can't be me!
Yes, I wanted to give my all for each of those girls. But somewhere after burnout hit hard, I realized that I needed to be giving my all to my King and letting Him have His way through that. Pouring out means nothing if you are pouring out on empty.
I didn't intend to write this to talk about burnout or giving to Jesus, though those are important topics. My intention was and still is to talk about how blessed I am to have been able to live with the most incredible and unique group of people this past year! God truly picked out a great wing! So, thank you young ladies of Phillips Upper East 2013-2014 for allowing me to see Jesus in new ways through each of you! Thank you for teaching me more about joy, perseverance, friendship, love, and acceptance than I could have ever hoped for! Thank you for accepting me in my craziest of times and my emotional times! Thank you for walking this journey with me! I can't imagine this year, and now my life, without each and every one of you! Thank you for allowing me to be even the slightest bit a part of your life! Thank you for how you have challenged me to become the best me I can be! Thank you for allowing God to move in your life and for sharing in some of those moments with me! Thank you for pursuing Christ and seeking to grow in who He created you to be! Thank you for the many memories, and more that are to come! Thank you for being a friend to me and loving me like Jesus does! Thank you for sharing so many different seasons with me!
I am beyond excited to see what God has in store for each and every one of you! I hope and pray that you don't think you are done with me just yet, even though you moved out! I know our paths have crossed for a reason!
And to the rest of you reading this, remember to appreciate the people God has placed in your life. They are there in this season for a purpose. Also remember to give Him everything, it is so worth it! God's faithfulness knows no bounds and He is so great at what He does! Let Him be God, you just get to open your heart and mind up to Him and allow Him to move through you! Allow Him to be your source for this season (and the next, and the next) of your life. Trust in His plans, no matter how crazy or scary or painful or joyful they may seem! He is full of surprises!
Seven bedrooms. Sixteen young women. Sixteen different personalities, life stories, and paths. All crossing for reasons I can't even pretend to understand.
Fifteen lives who have blessed my one life immensely.
Sixteen strangers placed in one dorm wing under one constant prayer, "Lord, have your way."
It's funny what can happen when you allow yourself to mutter those words, and mean it. Of course, many times I had to repeat that simple yet powerful prayer over and over again to convince myself I truly wanted it. His way comes at a cost, sometimes an exhausting or painful one, but His faithfulness always proves to be worth it.
As an Resident Assistant at WJU, I expected that I would spend most of my time pouring into the lives of the girls I lived with. I thought I was going to be able to live out a ministry to whoever ended up living in my wing. I had lists of ideas lists of occasions. I wanted to give my all to each young lady that moved into each room in my wing. However, I was quickly humbled.
I was nobody's source, or minister, or provider of fun or bonding or anything else my lists sought to provide. These ladies weren't mine. They never were and they never will be. Each young lady that I was blessed to live with this past year is created for more than something I could even imagine. Each life story is unique because their Creator has made them unique. Each step they take is unique to their specific journey. Their source? That needs to forever be the Unlimited power and strength of the Almighty God. That can't be me!
Yes, I wanted to give my all for each of those girls. But somewhere after burnout hit hard, I realized that I needed to be giving my all to my King and letting Him have His way through that. Pouring out means nothing if you are pouring out on empty.
I didn't intend to write this to talk about burnout or giving to Jesus, though those are important topics. My intention was and still is to talk about how blessed I am to have been able to live with the most incredible and unique group of people this past year! God truly picked out a great wing! So, thank you young ladies of Phillips Upper East 2013-2014 for allowing me to see Jesus in new ways through each of you! Thank you for teaching me more about joy, perseverance, friendship, love, and acceptance than I could have ever hoped for! Thank you for accepting me in my craziest of times and my emotional times! Thank you for walking this journey with me! I can't imagine this year, and now my life, without each and every one of you! Thank you for allowing me to be even the slightest bit a part of your life! Thank you for how you have challenged me to become the best me I can be! Thank you for allowing God to move in your life and for sharing in some of those moments with me! Thank you for pursuing Christ and seeking to grow in who He created you to be! Thank you for the many memories, and more that are to come! Thank you for being a friend to me and loving me like Jesus does! Thank you for sharing so many different seasons with me!
I am beyond excited to see what God has in store for each and every one of you! I hope and pray that you don't think you are done with me just yet, even though you moved out! I know our paths have crossed for a reason!
And to the rest of you reading this, remember to appreciate the people God has placed in your life. They are there in this season for a purpose. Also remember to give Him everything, it is so worth it! God's faithfulness knows no bounds and He is so great at what He does! Let Him be God, you just get to open your heart and mind up to Him and allow Him to move through you! Allow Him to be your source for this season (and the next, and the next) of your life. Trust in His plans, no matter how crazy or scary or painful or joyful they may seem! He is full of surprises!
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