To be precious and honored in God's sight

It was sooo good to visit Purdue and the women who are my family.  I realized that the women I was most excited to see basically feel into two categories: my sophomore Bible study and my senior Bible study.   I really feel like the women from sophomore year are the girls I grew up with.  Which is probably an odd statement to those who don't know the whole story.  I mean after all, I turned 20 that year, no longer a teenager, how can I be growing up.  Regardless that we are always still growing.  But I feel that in college and with Navs I really grew up, grew in maturity and definitely with my walk with God.  I find myself post-college tending to adapt habits that were similar to high school, with timing and activities.  But my heart, attitude and thoughts are much different.  After talking with another classmate, I realize that my definition of cool, is very far from normal.   After all, I consider crazy nerdy Larry as cool.  Part of me wonders if that is what happens when you go to an engineering school.  But I am almost positive that it's really a testament of how God is changing my eye-sight.  I must admit that I still do judge people on sight and first impressions.  But I've learned that I am a bad judge and to remain silent until I actually know the person.  The real underlying reason I have for no longer trying to categorize people as cool or not is because I want to see as Christ sees.  And I want Him to break my heart for them.  I know many amazing dorks.  And I want to love the un-lovely, though I still have major issues struggling with my own prejudices.

I really enjoyed seeing the girls from my senior Bible study.  This was a joy that was unexpected.  Senior year, I lead the study by myself.  So much went "wrong."  I wasn't what I thought it should look like or what I expected.  I was suppose to be one of two leaders leading a freshman study that I thought would be around 7 or more girls.  I lead by myself.  I had one faithful freshman, one sophomore, and two juniors.  And God blessed me beyond my imagination.  I still smile at the fact that we were all kinda science (me biology, two animal science, one foods nutrition & dietetics, and a psychology-not really science, but close).  Of all the things we didn't have in common, that was one we did and an unexpected one.  And the second semester I remember making the choice to really pour myself into their lives.  This was a significant decision that happened around the women's retreat.  I was lonely because of all who had left me, and I knew that I would be leaving in months, and it is so hard to put effort to what you will soon say goodbye to.  But at the women's retreat, I remember thinking that these girls were awesome and I wanted to get to know them better.  Like most things in my life, I feel like a treasure things more than others.  So while I truly enjoyed these women, I doubted God had really used me to effect their lives.  ( I know, I know.  How very arrogant to doubt God's ability to use anyone.)

So it touched me so much that these women were excited to see me.  Not just accepting that I was there, but excited.  One of my juniors (now senior) introduced me to her father and described me as "one of the people who actually cared about her."  How important our weekly lunches were, which I enjoyed-its not like they were work.

I think at Purdue, Christ began the work of teaching me how to love people.  And not just my feeling of love, but the actions to show them.  I am often amazed in work world situations when colleagues seem to enjoy me and I hope that is because of Christ shining.  I think that I am going to have to learn again how to love recklessly and with complete abandonement.

I praise Christ that He has allowed me to see a glimpse of what He has used me for.  And to remind of the joy of giving my life for others.

Isa 43:4

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.