While
at Samford, I loved RUF for too many reasons to name. My top two, though, would
have to be 1) RUF’s consistent focus on the gospel, and 2) the fact that RUF
was a group that would reject no one. I heard from many friends that RUF was
the place that they finally found people who would love them with all of their
faults. They could drop the excruciating chameleon game of trying to fit in and
know that they would have someone to sit next to at large group.
College is a hard time, when you’re starting
from square one again. On one hand, it's kind of exciting--you've got a fresh start, and you can be anyone you want to be. You’re
probably hoping to find a fabulous friend group, you might be rushing to join a greek organization, and you’re really shaping yourself whether you know it or not. Students are making decisions about what they’re going to value in their life—answering questions like: what’s
going to be my main purpose when I wake up each morning? Is my ultimate
goal just that I’ll be as happy and comfortable as I can be? Do I really believe all that stuff my parents taught me? Is going to church really important? RUF is a place in the
middle of all of those questions of insecurity, looking for community, and
finding meaning where the gospel comes first and foremost. Week after week, I
would wander in stressed, lonely, frustrated, ecstatic…fill in the blank, and be reminded that
Jesus is enough. And that my life has meaning because I’m living it for Him.
As
an intern with RUF, I’m hoping to help students find community as they start
this transitional stage of life. I’m hoping to point them to Christ, time and
time again, as the only and perfect solution to the struggles we all face. In
essence, I’ll get to do what I loved to do while I was studying at Samford,
except this time I won’t be getting a biology degree in the meantime. I can
focus all of my efforts into loving and reaching students for Christ. What a
fantastic opportunity! I can’t imagine a job I’d rather apply for.
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