When I signed up to be a Torrientation Seer, I had no idea what I was getting into.
Torrey Honors Institute is a Great Books Program that incorporates brilliant, Christ-serving faculty with a discussion-centric education method that results in a formation of the best community known to any college student. Because of its unorthodox education methods, emphasis on community, and its rigorous intellectual requirements, it has its own week of orientation (cleverly titled Torrientation) separate from the rest of Biola University. Torrey maintains its ability to stand out from the rest of Biola through events like Torrientation, by being its new student’s first taste of Biola.
Torrientation is a mad mix of games, group devotionals, intro-to-Torrey lectures, and worship. Notice I didn’t include sleep.
The Seers, or sophomores who volunteered to help with Torrientation, are tasked with leading the freshman into their first week at Biola and introducing them into all that is Torrey. The preparation begins months in advance. My job was to design the T-shirts, logo (seen above), and bookmarks for the week. Because of this, during the actual week I had no special job, unlike everybody else who was anything from on the film team to a meal coordinator.
Ordinarily, lack of a job would compel another person to look for ways to help. Any mention of “I need 5 people too” should have resulted my raised hand. However, time and time again the call was for “5 guys and/or strong girls too help move...” Of course, my hand remained by my side. Standing all day coupled with a multiple joint disorder made it clear to me that I was not eligible for extended work.
As a 7:30 call time each morning began to take its toll, my resolve to stay energetic waned. I was, of course, thrilled to meet the freshman I was overseeing and help them in any way possible, but I continued to feel not useless, but... a less-valuable addition to the team. After a few days, I was asked to design name cards for the 15 people in the cohort I was helping oversee. I poured what little energy I had into it, meaning I missed lectures and group meal times. I felt like I was forsaking my group and missing out on what I was supposed to be doing.
The night before the cards were due, I sat in the lobby of my dorm with my friend Racheal. I worked on the last of the cards as she sat and erased my sketched pencil guidelines under the finished ink. I confessed to her I felt relatively less useful due to my physical handicap, and she was astonished. She reminded me how valuable I was to the group, and how amazing it was that I was able to use my God-given artistic talents for the sake of the freshman. I shook myself out of the self-pity stupor I had fallen into. Of course! Serving God didn’t have to look like a cookie-cutter macho-man who would use his physical prowess to help anybody in need. My weakness gave opportunity for God to be glorified instead of me. My artistic abilities were being used to bless the freshman in a unique way.
After that, I was continually blessed unexpectedly due to committing whole-heartedly to my own way of serving. During putting the finishing touches on the name tags the next morning, an amazing conversation with my co-leader Pricilla occurred, completely unexpected. By the end of the week, I had grown closer to the freshman and had learned that I really had been appreciated for what I had done.
God had an amazing plan for me all along, and it was a beautiful experience to be able to grow into that. If you ever get the opportunity to be a Torrientation Seer, take it. You won’t regret it.
