Recent weeks have been a whirlwind of activities and events. God has moved in radical ways, and as I look back at the last few weeks, I am amazed at the power of his love.
Headed into this semester I was not sure what to expect, as I am serving at a campus in an area unfamiliar to me. Eager with anticipation, I headed into this semester, just to have my expectations blown out of the water.
Lauren Cartwright and friends.The first week of school, more than 40 girls replied to me after I messaged them, encouraging them as they came to campus. This showed me just how hungry the students here are for Jesus and his love.
One of my favorite stories is from the first week of school. I had the opportunity to meet a student who told me she was just lonely, because she hadn’t met anyone yet. The next morning, we went and got coffee, and I asked her who Jesus is to her. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I am still trying to figure that out.”
I immediately took the opportunity to share the story of how God radically changed my life and to explain how Jesus gave his life for her. Something that has been so evident to me is that college students are a group of individuals who have “fallen through the cracks.” We live in a culture that is submerged in religion.
Many of our students have an idea of who God is, but they do not understand what it means to have a deep relationship with him. It has been so encouraging that I get to work with the college students every day and remind them the importance of that relationship.
Over the last few weeks I have seen students give God their relationships, give him their talents and give him their lives. I have learned in the midst of all of this to remember God is in control and God has a plan. My job is to trust in him and to daily surrender to the calling Jesus has placed on my life.
Lauren Cartwright, a recent graduate of Tarleton State University, is serving as a campus missionary intern at Tyler Junior College through Go Now Missions.
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