Lifegiving

I am besieged by life daily. Life is always seeking my time, money, influences, efforts, and prayers. My workload has increased from that of first year. My obligations as a full-time student are not small. Luckily, my resources to deal with the workload have also increased, and I am better able to cope with more work. Free time for playing in snow is long gone; I now possess a budding sense of who I am and how hard I am willing to work to achieve my goals. I am feeling more grounded than ever in my absolute faith that people want to help me.

Reach outside from within. If I have learned anything this semester, it is this thought: having a community of support is necessary for success. When I have a difficult class, I can study with friends. When I am saddened over recent relationship problems, my friends comfort me. Support networks keep me afloat and serve as a powerful raft for my voyage through college. I do not fear talking to new people and speaking up in class. I am braver than before because I have to be. I understand the impact a good community can have.

I never saw myself as much of a friend. Until last summer, I was shy around strangers, and would tend to keep my emotions close to my chest, even to my closest friends. Last summer all of that changed, and I experienced the love of God in far-off places. People who had never seen me in their lives were so incredibly generous and kind that I was humbled. How could I remain shy when I finally understood the interconnectedness of the whole world? I was 9,000 miles away from Georgia, but met people who knew Disciples camp songs.

I cannot remain quiet anymore. I have too much in common with everyone else to close myself off. This January, I attended Allies Institute sponsored by the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC). VCIC works to expand awareness of prejudice and to build diversity in places of work, worship, and education across the state. Allies Institute was an example of VCIC reaching out to local college students in an effort to build better inter-ethnic dialogue on Lynchburg College's campus. Along with 40 other college students, VCIC brought us together and reminded me of the interconnectedness possible through intensive dialogue. We experienced a real growth of community with only two days of living together. Allies Institute also helpfully resuscitated my commitment to building interfaith dialogue on campus. More than 40 kids on Lynchburg College campus now know of the Disciples of Christ background.

Allies Institute took place in early January, and even today I am feeling energized to share the stories of that retreat. My energy for this retreat must stem from the support network it created. I feel surrounded by these 40 friends in ways that I had not felt since Africa and church camp. I am ever grateful for the power of communal dialogue, and remain committed to crossing boundaries on whatever soil I stand.