Delphine - Enjoying Beach Retreat. Fall 2012
This is a guest post by Delphine, a recent graduate of Georgetown University. She was involved at Chi Alpha during the past several years and she is currently a teacher in the city. You can connect with her via Facebook.
Chi Alpha is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about my time on campus, and I can't help but feel nostalgic...
In Chi Alpha, I was blessed with beautiful friendships that I know I will be long-lasting, I discovered what true community is all about. It's filled with people who are not afraid to be honest about who they really are, willing to put down their masks and talk about their insecurities, their fears, their failures. And through vulnerability they find love, grace and acceptance. That's community.
I guess I had never really experienced community that way before, even though I grew up in church. I never really felt like the Church wanted me to be real or would create space for some raw conversations, questions and confessions. But something crazy happens in the very moment when we realize that struggles are part of the journey, that we all need more of God in our lives and more of each other. I have forever been challenged to recreate that environment where people are willing to open up, because that's the community we are all meant to be a part of.
Being involved in Chi Alpha also gave me the opportunity to look beyond myself. I realized that God sent me to campus for a reason beyond graduating with a great GPA. I felt that I was also called to serve and be a part of building God's kingdom on campus. And the crazy thing is, when I started serving, thinking about the needs of others, I found purpose and I found myself. Suddenly, getting the highest GPA or the best internship does not matter as much, because you know God is walking with you, sending you favor along the way. Ever since, I have tried to always keep in mind that it's not just about what I do or where I am, whether I am a student or now a teacher, but how I glorify God in the things He has entrusted me with. You don't need to be “in ministry” to serve Him, He needs all of us!
I could write a book of all the things that God taught me during my time in Chi Alpha, of all the testimonies of lives being transformed on campus, but at the end of the day, I'm so thankful to God that I got to be part of this ministry. It didn't just impact my time at Georgetown, but it will impact the rest of my life - but you would have read another blog post to find out how!Would you consider joining me in The 100 for $100 Project? I just gave and would love to have you join our team!
