Freshman Blog

“Becca, Ashleigh, and Ashley – we’re gonna collaborate on a blog!” I run in the room yelling.

Off-handedly Rebecca mutters, “Stop, collaborate, and listen...”

THIS is the type of friendship we have - completely unexplainable, but totally in sync.  [“N*SYNC? You may hate me but it ain’t no lie, baby bye bye bye BYE BYE,” Ashleigh had to add.]

Rebecca’s mom teaches an 11^th and 12^th grade girls Sunday school class, and since Becca was home Sunday, they interrogated her.  The umbrella topic of the discussion was, “What advice would you give yourself as a senior?” So that’s what we’re gonna do for YOU.

Disclaimer: This is not a “Come to Judson because it’s awesome, and if you apply right now you get a free jumbo blue slushy because those make everyone happy” blog.  This is a “I wish I’d known this” blog.

Advice #1 from Rebecca: “Don’t eat old yogurt.” Explanation from Ashleigh: “It makes you poop funny.”

Advice #2 from Rebecca: “Don’t get so caught up in belonging somewhere, because at home, I felt like I belonged somewhere. I had my place, my people, respect, popularity kind of thing... but when I came here, I didn’t think I ‘belonged’ here.  But now I understand that as God’s child, I don’t ‘belong’ anywhere in the world.  I belong to Him.”

Advice #3 from Ashleigh: “Apply to EVERY SINGLE scholarship you possibly can.”

Advice #4 from Ashley: “Don’t try to please everybody else because you’ll end up getting hurt and doing something you regret. You’ll never be able to please everybody.”

Advice #5 from Ashleigh to Ashley, who was chugging a bottle of water: “Don’t drink so much water that you make yourself sick!”

Advice #6 from Rebecca: “Don’t get a roommate who has bad gas.” [“Gee, thanks Becca,” is Ashleigh’s reply.]

Advice #7 from Rivers: “Realize that you have the most free time and resources at this point in your life. As busy as you think you are, you can actually do so much more for your community and for the kingdom of God than you will be able to in college.”

Advice #8 from Ashleigh: “Always shave your arm pits before you go to church in a sleeveless dress.” Further explanation from Rivers: “Yeah, you don’t want to freak someone out when you feel the Spirit and lift your hands in worship.  You don’t want to have to hinder the Spirit.”

Advice #9 from Rebecca: “Appreciate each stage in your life and don’t try to rush them.  Like, when you’re single, praise God for that time you have for just you and Him, that you can glorify Him.  When you’re in high school, appreciate the opportunity you have to minister to the people around you.  Everything – jobs, marriage, boys, life – will come in God’s timing.”

Advice #10 from Ashley: “Stop doing what you want to do and listen to God.”

Watch this first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9qE-qXI11I

It's amazing how beautiful new things can be.  It blows my mind when people step outside of the box of conventionality, because then - and only then - art is created.  Then and only then, life is breathed into the nostrils of a dead idea, a boring tradition, an empty praise.  Just like this woman, who took a simple ol' guitar and broke every rule in the "How To Play Guitar" book, the saints that make up Chosen Vessel are bringing beauty to dead tradition.

To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to expect. I knew it would be different... I grew up Baptist, and "interpretive dance" was only allowed at church in the form of "human videos."  So I went into Thursday night's Chosen Vessel performance with an open mind.  This can only be as enjoyable as you allow it to be, I told myself.  Don't set limits on the Holy Spirit.

After I had found a seat in Alumnae Auditorium, I began to review the night's program. "Directed By: The Holy Spirit" was printed on the front.  I chuckled and pointed it out to a friend.  

Honestly, there's no way for me to describe what transpired in that room.  I had never seen anything like it, and in truth, I was quite uncomfortable at times.  Some theology was suggested that I had never dined with.  Some methods of praise were expressed that had never escaped my lips.  Some stirring in my heart had never given me such butterflies.

 No one can deny the beauty of the interpretive dance, mime, and singing performed last Thursday evening.  I did deny for a while though, the ability to understand it.

Still, I do not understand all of the symbolism that made up the show.  A lot was quite vague - a narrator would have come in handy.  But after a very personal, very real encounter with God on Monday night, I must say - I understand what the show was about.

When a cup is faced with more liquid than it can hold, what happens? It overflows.  When a person encounters the fullness of God, what can she do but praise?  What can she do but look crazy in the eyes of the world? What can she do but look foolish in the eyes of religion? What can she do but praise, praise, praise?

Character.

It's who you are when no one is looking.

Good character.

It's not using Google translator on your Spanish homework.

It's making the money your parents gave you last longer than a week.

It's reading your Bible as much as you act like you do.

It's admitting that you've experienced and done some of the same horrible things that other people have.

Bad character.

It's the me that I'm getting to know.

For a long time, I've been able to fool other people into thinking that I'm efficient, motivated, confident, and organized.

To be honest, no one knows the real me. I didn't even know the real me, until recently.  My eyes are being opened to my own character.  Each day, I realize another aspect of my true self that I despise.  I'm seeing that who I am at this point in my life is not who I expected to be. 

I'm reminded of a lyric in a song by Francesca Battistelli:

"When I was just a girl I thought I had it figured out
My life would turn out right, and I'd make it here somehow."

This explains my life very well.  Always expecting to be something, but never taking the steps to become that something.  When I was 8, I told everyone I was a Christian. I knew what one was supposed to look like, so that's how I made myself look.  I thought I had everyone fooled. Five years later, God slipped into the room where I hid behind a closed door.  I couldn't fool Him. Point blank.

I know what an efficient worker, a motivated student, a confident woman, and an organized leader looks like.  Sometimes I am those people.  More times, I'm not. 

I want to help women see their beauty, yet I hardly ever see my own.

I expect Christians to share their faith, yet I rarely share my own.

I leave the room when people are gossiping, only to go to another room to share the latest news.

Hypocritical? Of course. Let you who are without [the same] sin cast the first stone. 

The book of my life would be open to this page regardless of where I had gone to school, or who my friends were.  Thankfully, because of the influence of Judson sisters and professors here, the next page of my book is filled with maturity and wisdom. 

Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like at a public co-ed university.  I can definitely see the possibilities.  It's possible that I would be failing, from lack of understanding, in the larger classrooms.  It's probable that I would be in another dead-end relationship, just like high school.  I would most definitely not have the friendships that I have made at Judson.  I would possibly even doubt my Christian values. 

All I can say is... Thank God I came to Judson.  Thank God that I have professors who are willing to thoroughly teach me their discipline.  Thank God that the staff, including professors, are willing to counsel me if I needed it.  Thank God that I don't have the distraction of guys when I'm not ready to be in a relationship.  Thank God for each and every friendship I have made and will make.  Thank God for the solid Biblical teaching and spiritual nourishment I have received here.

At the end of the day, I am thankful that God placed me at Judson... where I can become a woman of true character.