I've been thinking a lot today about College Girls. My Bible Study groups, present and past in particular. I've come to some really frank realizations about myself and these wonderful young ladies that I have been privileged to get to know.
First - They are as a group seekers! They are spending their time at college, seeking...careers, friends, future husbands, where they belong and who they are. While studying and enjoying college life, they are forever seeking ways to figure out exactly who they are and what kind of person they want to be.
Second - They are passionate! They are passionate about everything, from their friends to their music, to the movies they watch, to the positions they take on any given topic. When you get them talking about something they are passionate about they truly become animated and alive. I love that! I love watching them and listening to them.
Third - When they make a decision to commit, they do so with their whole heart. They just want to be seen as people with a true voice and heart.
In this way, I love college girls. I started doing the first Bible Study as a way to fill my empty house. After raising two kids and having them and their friends hang out here all the time, when my kids left, the friends went with them and the house became incredibly quiet. I felt that leading a group of college girls would be a way to fill the house again with young people. What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that not only would they fill my house, but they would fill my heart as well. My first group of girls were so amazing! Most of them were with me for three years and when they graduated and left, it was like losing my kids all over again. These girls became my girls. I have been to two weddings and hope to go to more. I hope to see their babies one day. After they left I thought I just couldn't do it again, I couldn't go through another group, so I took a year off. When I was asked if I would do a group this year, I prayed about it and decided I would. Once again, I have been blessed with another amazing group of girls, who have filled my heart. I hope to one day go to their weddings and see their babies as well.
I am so blessed to be a part of these young ladies lives. I love that they seek. Every week, they come to Bible Study seeking...seeking to know God's Word. Seeking to see what He has to say to them. Seeking for ways to serve Him. I love that they have passion. They are so passionate about Him and what He says to them. I love to hear them discuss a passage and what it means to them, or discuss why Paul or James would say that. It thrills me to see them seeking God and being passionate. But what really warms my heart is that they are so committed. When there are so many things pulling at them, they have committed to studying God's Word, to learning about Him and what He is trying to say to them and for that I feel truly blessed to know these girls.
How has this changed my life? Well for one thing, getting to know these girls has once again filled my home with laughter, lots of talking and fun. For another, it makes me feel energized. Just being around a room full of College girls energizes me. I find myself listening to them while they are eating dinner and talking and sometimes just smile to myself. They are just plain fun to be around! Being around them has me wanting to be more like them. Well, maybe not young, but I want to be known as seeking, passionate and committed. I want to be always seeking God's will. I want to be passionate about what He is trying to tell me and I want to be committed to Him.
I am blessed to know these young ladies and to have them as a part of my life. God knew what I needed and filled it without me even realizing it. God is so very good isn't He?
First - They are as a group seekers! They are spending their time at college, seeking...careers, friends, future husbands, where they belong and who they are. While studying and enjoying college life, they are forever seeking ways to figure out exactly who they are and what kind of person they want to be.
Second - They are passionate! They are passionate about everything, from their friends to their music, to the movies they watch, to the positions they take on any given topic. When you get them talking about something they are passionate about they truly become animated and alive. I love that! I love watching them and listening to them.
Third - When they make a decision to commit, they do so with their whole heart. They just want to be seen as people with a true voice and heart.
In this way, I love college girls. I started doing the first Bible Study as a way to fill my empty house. After raising two kids and having them and their friends hang out here all the time, when my kids left, the friends went with them and the house became incredibly quiet. I felt that leading a group of college girls would be a way to fill the house again with young people. What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that not only would they fill my house, but they would fill my heart as well. My first group of girls were so amazing! Most of them were with me for three years and when they graduated and left, it was like losing my kids all over again. These girls became my girls. I have been to two weddings and hope to go to more. I hope to see their babies one day. After they left I thought I just couldn't do it again, I couldn't go through another group, so I took a year off. When I was asked if I would do a group this year, I prayed about it and decided I would. Once again, I have been blessed with another amazing group of girls, who have filled my heart. I hope to one day go to their weddings and see their babies as well.
I am so blessed to be a part of these young ladies lives. I love that they seek. Every week, they come to Bible Study seeking...seeking to know God's Word. Seeking to see what He has to say to them. Seeking for ways to serve Him. I love that they have passion. They are so passionate about Him and what He says to them. I love to hear them discuss a passage and what it means to them, or discuss why Paul or James would say that. It thrills me to see them seeking God and being passionate. But what really warms my heart is that they are so committed. When there are so many things pulling at them, they have committed to studying God's Word, to learning about Him and what He is trying to say to them and for that I feel truly blessed to know these girls.
How has this changed my life? Well for one thing, getting to know these girls has once again filled my home with laughter, lots of talking and fun. For another, it makes me feel energized. Just being around a room full of College girls energizes me. I find myself listening to them while they are eating dinner and talking and sometimes just smile to myself. They are just plain fun to be around! Being around them has me wanting to be more like them. Well, maybe not young, but I want to be known as seeking, passionate and committed. I want to be always seeking God's will. I want to be passionate about what He is trying to tell me and I want to be committed to Him.
I am blessed to know these young ladies and to have them as a part of my life. God knew what I needed and filled it without me even realizing it. God is so very good isn't He?
