I Won't Have to Cross Campus Alone

“The devil has no power… except in the dark.” -Cassandra Clare

Dark? On an Oxford Sunday morning? A Sunday after the Rebels won in Vaught-Hemmingway? I know what you’re thinking-this absolutely cannot be true. But trust me, while the sun was shining and the birds were whistling Dixie all through Lafayette County it was dark in the big white house on campus. In fact, it was dark all over campus. Right before my alarm went off for church there was a campus wide power outage. The result: no alarm clock, no lights, and most importantly, no hair dryer. Lucky for me, I was already awake and watching “Meet the Press.” While they were concerned with the Republican’s new “Pledge to America,” I was worried about how I would get showered and ready for church in the dark. I had almost decided to skip church altogether, when just in the nick of time the lights flickered and power was restored! I leapt out of bed and ran to the shower. I seriously got ready at lightning speed. I’ve never moved so quickly before noon.

As we were driving to church I realized this was the second week in a row I almost skipped church. What is happening to me!? Am I turning into the stereotypical college student who quits attending church during her college years? I sure hope not. I refuse to be a statistic. Then it occurred to me. Maybe the evil one is at it again. How easy would it have been for me to stay in bed and study for the upcoming week? Or only get up for a trip to Bottletree or Emeliegh’s Table? Surely God had something great in store this beautiful Sunday morning at FBC Oxford. If he didn’t, Satan wouldn’t be trying so hard to keep me in bed, right?

Well, everyone at Campus Crusade knows that I LOVE hymns. I don’t care how old they are or how many times they have or have not been heard-I love them. So Sunday morning, when Dr. Dick Trott began singing I was absolutely ecstatic. Besides being one of the cutest senior citizens in the Oxford-Lafayette area, he has an amazing voice. I can assure you, lives were changed when he sang I Won’t Have to Cross Jordan Alone. I literally sat in the sweltering heat of the balcony thinking, “there goes God, playing DJ in my life yet again.” The words were so simple and the song was so short, but this old hymn holds a powerful, unwavering message. The message that Jesus is with us-EVERYWHERE, EVERYTIME AND IN EVERY SIUTATION.

What a comforting thought knowing that Jesus himself will escort us into Heaven! How much more comforting to know that we don’t have to walk through Oxford (or Brandon, or anywhere else) alone!? To know that the Lord of Heaven is by our side in our every day lives is more comfort than anyone should ever need. What unconditional and unexplainable love and devotion He has for his children!

Even though Sunday’s sermon was about living for God (and Sunday alcohol sales) I was absolutely blown away by the words and message of this old hymn. What an encouragement to constantly lean on Him for support, comfort, and guidance. Through all of the storms that college students face, we have a rock and an anchor in Christ Jesus.

Even though the weather in Oxford is absolutely glorious at the moment, the storms will come, and I know I have the grace and mercy of a steadfast Savior to lead me through the torrential downpour of struggles and temptations I will encounter.

So for now, I'll enjoy the cool weather and the changing leaves. However, I will prepare my heart and my mind for the challenges that are inevitably coming my way.

Peace&Blessings

My Own Personal DJ

Sunday morning when my sister left town I thought I would skip church and stay home to study before Water Parties, but something inside of me cannot skip church on Sunday mornings. I just can’t do it. If I’m physically capable of going, I’m there. So instead of studying, I went to meet with Jesus at FBC Oxford.

The message was about the power of prayer, and the impact prayer would have on our community and school. The message came from 1 Timothy 2:1-8. Paul is writing to Timothy in Ephesus and giving him instructions on how to worship. His very first sentence says to pray. The very first line of the chapter-pray. Not sing, or dance, or give our money or time to the church, but to simply pray. The main point of the message was to make prayer our initial imperative. Regardless of the situation we are to first go to God, then others.

How often in my daily life do I call on my mom, my roommate, my best friend, or my sister before I call on the Lord of the Universe? Before taking our issues to other sinful human beings, we should go before our holy and perfect Father. We should take our needs before Him boldly, with confidence that all things will work for the good of His will.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an obsession with musicals. Give me a predictable plotline, a sappy love story, and a few good show choir songs and I’m hooked. From Glee to Oliver to Wicked, I love them all. I dream of choreographed musical routines in the cafeteria and of dancing around town singing with the birds and the chimney sweeps. While my life lately hasn’t exactly been an episode of Glee lately, I have noticed that there are so many songs that actually apply to my daily life. Sometimes it’s as if God is my own personal DJ and he’s creating the soundtrack for my life.

After a message about prayer on Sunday I got in my car and Casting Crowns’ “What if His People Prayed” was playing on KLOVE. How incredibly convenient. Not only did God speak to me during the eleven o’clock service, He was driving it home, making sure I heard Him loud and clear. I really am beginning to wonder, what would happen if His people prayed? What change would we see in our community if we were all so diligent and dependent upon prayer that it consumed our thoughts on an hourly basis?

What an incredible challenge.

Now I will prayerfully consider studying for my test tomorrow J

Peace&Blessings