Attendance at a private Christian college is by no means necessary to achieve the status of a "good Christian". The stereotype of public universities may very well be true for a lot of people. God has taught me more in one semester at a public state school than I think I ever could have learned at a private university. My faith and trust in the Lord have also grown tremendously.
The transition to college is perhaps tougher for Christ followers than anybody else. There exists the possibility of derailing and giving into the typical college party scene. There is an underlying and much more pressing issue: losing sight of God and drifting from Him. This was my biggest fear and was actually a reality in my life for a brief time.
Going to a public school is by no means easy. It is being surrounded by people of differing beliefs and values. This is an equally fascinating and overwhelming experience. There is so much to learn from everyone around you, but it can be incredibly difficult to discern God's voice among all the others. I lost God's voice in the sea of everyone's in the world. I became consumed by the world because of this, but once I found God's voice again, I found peace. Being tossed about in this seat of diversity is actually incredibly rewarding. Christianity is about discipleship. God called us to make disciples, not only to grow in our own faith. As one who wants to teach high school, I'm going to be tossed about in this sea of diversity for the rest of my life. I fully believe God is using my time here to prepare me for that future.
God has very much reinforced the importance of community this semester. I learned the hard way that you cannot do this alone. My first few weeks of college, as one can imagine, were overwhelming. My time was consumed with homework, friends, and trying to figure out how to live on my own. I used my busyness as an excuse to not attend any of the campus ministries I had been so excited about joining. I thought, "Oh, there's too much on my plate now, I'll get by by reading my bible at night and I'll worry about ministries later." I for some reason really thought I'd be able to make it, but I was falling faster than I ever have.
After about a month of late nights with friends and false promises to myself of "I'll go next week", I gave up the act. I quit making excuses and I just went. That first visit had me feeling more free and relieved than I'd felt since coming to college. My first times attending each ministry and once again being with other Christians made me realize that no matter how in tune you are with God and your own faith, it means nothing unless you have a community with other believers. I'm reminded daily of the power of community. Since my attention has again been focused on Jesus, I've grown so much. Ministries have taken priority, friends and frankly everything else have made their way to the bottom of my list. On Mondays, I attend a freshman bible study. On Wednesdays, I attend the weekly meeting for one campus ministry, and on Thursdays, the same thing for a different ministry.
The whole reason I came to a public university was God's insistence on my doing so. Much prayer went into my college hunt and God kept hinting at this school. I trusted Him then to get me to this school and I'm trusting Him now to reveal to me why I'm here. I've learned so much in and out of class and have made solid connections with a lot of people. I believe the Lord has a lot for me here. Being submersed in this worldly diversity has been difficult, but it is what has drawn me closer to God. It is to Him I run, it is through Him I find my faith, and it is in Him I put my trust.