How to Save a Life.....

So back in the fall when we went on a spring retreat, I created a prayer room for students to use art supplies and other forms of medium to communicate with God.

I created one piece of "prayer art" myself based on a lot of what I was feeling at that time. The picture was of a stick figure who had just let go of a bundle of balloons--but realizing that the balloons were now out of reach began to grasp for them. Underneath the picture I wrote "I keep trying to save my life but you won't let me."

This reminds me of much of what I see both on campus here at Georgetown and in my generation.

We get a small taste of what it could be like to serve God, to let go of our hold on our own lives--and how exhilarating that can be! We've lost our lives! And now we find them in Christ.....in much better form that we truly could've ever imagined.

But then the fear sets in.....what if God messes with my schedule? What if I have to break up with my boyfriend? What if I have to change my major? This whole "losing my life" thing is actually kind of unpredictable and uncomfortable.......so we start reaching for the balloons again, trying to bring back the control to our surroundings.

Recently this has been very evident as we see students making decisions about becoming leaders in the fellowship next year. I sadly see student after student shirking from responsibility and leadership--willing to take from fellowship....but when it gets tough and may mean unpredictable commitment....they run in the other direction.
Is this to say that IV leadership is the only way to serve God? No! However, I would love to see every student in our fellowship experiencing the joy and fulfillment of serving God through ministry during their time here.....whether that's leading a small group, playing in the band, heading up a campus-wide event.

Although the situation appears different now a week after applications were due, seeing God provide new students I never expected--for awhile there it seemed that one by one students were saying they could come up with a better plan for their lives than God.

I saw myself do it a lot first semester here, wanting to protect my schedule and my heart from falling head-forward into relationships with a completely new group of students and life in a new city.....fearing what God would do if I really let go. I'm beginning to let my heart get involved with students here, releasing the balloons and watching them fly.

It begs the question of all of us (myself paramount):

what are we holding back from God?

What are we attempting to hold onto thinking it will bring us life other than God?