It’s still shocking to me that it’s December, classes are done, finals are underway, and some of our students are already on their way back home for the winter break. It feels like it was just Welcome Week, we blinked, and the semester was over. I’m still getting used to wearing gloves every day, let alone gearing up for the new year! But that seems to be the story of every fall, doesn’t it?
When I look back at the semester that’s flown by, I’m reminded of how much God has done. As is our tradition in Chi Alpha at American University, we held our Celebration Thursday service last week.
It’s important to us that we don’t let these months pass without taking moments to recognize where God has moved and what He’s doing in our community.
Written by Rev. Natalie Hill (Facebook)
Turns out when I take time to notice what He’s done, I realize that even though the semester moved so quickly, God’s packed it full with amazing moments on campus. Celebration Thursday is our way of carving out time to remember that.
One of our graduating seniors, Maura, gave our student message, sharing about what she’s learned and how she’s grown in these years as a student. As she prepares for what’s next (grad school in St. Louis), she stressed the importance of being present and noticing what God is doing here and now, not just what He wants to do in the future.
It was a timely, relevant word for our DC students, who are often caught planning the next things instead of living presently. It was amazing to see how much Maura has grown in her years here, coming to AU as a baby Christian and leaving it after preaching a sermon and sharing her heart with her Chi Alpha community and field hockey team, all of whom came to hear her speak! And to top off the night, we got to baptize two students in the university pool (while the lifeguard and late-night swimmers watched and cheered with us)!
It’s so easy to let time fly by and forget to notice what God is doing in the here and now. He is a personal and present Savior who is involved in every moment; let us never lose sight of that.
Thank you for your constant prayer and support of this ministry and college students in Washington, DC! We’re praying for a wonderful end of the year for all of you and a Christmas season full of joy!
If you're interested in making a year-end gift towards DC Chi Alpha (a registered 501c3) — we recommend doing so online via our page on MightyCause (formerly Razoo Foundation).
