Although I never did go into teaching after college, the many benefits and blessings from my days at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College follow me to this day.
My first ever "public speaking" stint, though shamefully unpaid.
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A memory: one single snapshot of one single moment of life that can evoke a spectrum of emotions...emotions ranging from delight or fondness, to perhaps remorse or merely indifference. I like memories. Those of you who know me well can surely believe it when I say that I am the "Queen of Sentimentality". The reason I enjoy remembering and reminiscing so much is not because I am stuck on the past, but because memories accumulated over my life as a Christian bear witness to the pure reality of God's faithfulness...how He has directed each step so far taken. Memories allow me to grasp precious portions of Scripture in a way that can only be understood in hindsight. Verses, which remind me that "I CAN do all things through CHRIST Who strengthens me," or that "all things [really do] work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." How much more fully can we understand the faithfulness of our great God than by meditating on how He has ALREADY worked in our lives to get us to the place we are at today?
Moments do not last. Some may remain as memories in our hearts and minds for the rest of our lives. Moments that include many aspects of what one might expect during four years at a Bible college. Moments of soccer triumphs, class meetings, Valentine Formals, and Spirit Weeks. Moments of skit nights, dorm activities, intramurals, and coffee breaks. While we certainly will fondly remember these moments, there are also specific times within these when we invite the Lord to JOIN these moments WITH us, so He can then take them and weave them into His marvelous, doxological design, turning ordinary moments into eternal memories of His working in our lives. These are the memories that I will be taking with me, ones that not only evoke emotion, but ACTION. These are memories of which I unquestionably saw the Lord Jesus Christ actively working on this campus and through the lives of His servants. They consist of "Nights of Our Knees", Chicago mission trips, praise chapels, The Zak project, and "Heartbeat" meetings. They include "Do Crew", "Fishers of Men" outings, deep theological class discussions", extension ministries, and "Encouragement Cards". Each day that I spent at Pillsbury God presented me with numerous opportunities with which I could either choose to embrace and, thus, enhance the glory of my Savior through my obedience and service to Him, or which I could allow to pass by and rob not only the Lord of glory He deserves, but myself of the joy that making a lasting memory for Him could have brought.
Some of these memories are drawn from a vast number of moments that involve people. A small school, Pillsbury College can be described by its family-like atmosphere. Those of you who have ever attended this school can attest to the fact that here, the fellowship is truly sweet. It is like coming home. The singsperations, the prayer groups, the ministry...no matter what is going on, there is always someone around with whom to share your joys and burdens, successes and struggles. There are students on this campus who have been a constant challenge to my spiritual walk. The love between brothers and sisters in Christ is certainly boundless and is a priceless and eternal gift from God.
What really stood out about this year and is something I hope will continue is the fresh and natural desire among the student body to, as much as possible, create a spiritual emphasis for practically every event on campus. It has been exciting to see what God can do when a group of people is united in the same goal of glorifying God and accomplishing His purposes. Recently we have seen our student-led outreach and evangelism program absolutely explode. It is groups such as "Fishers of men" and "Heartbeat for Missions" that have helped to excite the rest of the students with a joy of simply carrying out the Great Commission. Annual mission trips to Chicago's Pacific Garden Mission proved to me that if we first learn to delight in our OWN salvation, we become more enthusiastic about bringing the gospel to this dreadfully lost world. I learned that God must first be real to ME before I can truly share Him with somebody else. It has been ministry opportunities like these, which have helped me to become more others-minded, and have encouraged me to speak my faith more boldly and confidently.
An aspect of Pillsbury that I will always treasure is the fact of its divinely handpicked professors and staff. These teachers and mentors have helped me to get the most out of my college experience. I have grown to love each one of them individually for their knowledge and practice of their subjects, their genuine concern for students, and for the daily sacrifices they make to cater to our needs. They are personable and approachable, and I know that they pray regularly for us. God has GREATLY used these people in my life. THEIR lives serve as models of how true men and women of God ought to live, and they have given me much inspiration that I will take with me when I leave this college.
As I have just completed a student teaching program for my degree and have worked alongside several experienced teachers, I have seen firsthand how the role of educator can be all too often a thankless position. Many people do not realize just how much dedication, effort, patience, and love that must be practiced in such a field. It is a calling that can be both draining and rewarding, frustrating and fulfilling, but I have found that, at the end of the day, to have reached even just one student the tiniest bit makes all the prep work and grading and drilling and late nights and persistence completely worth it. I have also learned that the smallest gesture of compassion and care toward students means the absolute world to them. College students are not unlike elementary students in this way.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have delved into the world of education from the teacher's perspective, in part so that I could better understand and appreciate the God-given gifts, abilities and hard work of some of my own professors and teachers sitting among us today. I pray and am confident that God will bless each one of them uniquely and liberally. "Help ME, Lord, to grow into the honorable teacher You have empowered THEM to become."
I would have to say there is one single memory of my college education that has had the biggest impact on my life. It is simply, yet profoundly this: that Pillsbury has helped me to gain a DESIRE TO KNOW GOD.
Having been fed many facts and principles of the Bible growing up, I felt I had a pretty good foundation for what I was to learn in college. Little did I realize just how much I would have to learn! While I was saved at age five, I do not believe I really internalized what it TRULY means to be a child of God until my years here. Through experiences here, God has become more to me than just the Creator of the world and, as they say, "fire insurance" for heaven. He has truly become my Father, Provider, Shelter, Guide, Potter, and Protector. The funny thing is, He had ALWAYS been each of these things, but with a fresh understanding of my position in Christ, I realized I needed to ALLOW Him to BE my Father, Provider, and Shelter, not just verbalize it. When that happened, I began to see past Bible references, verses, and King James English to behold the One to Whom I owe my very life and breath. It does not matter that I can define words like "soteriology" and "efficacious" or that I can even pronounce them! What matters is that over the course of my college experience, I have been instructed in the way of Truth, and that God has used it all to draw me closer to Him. Along with a desire to know God comes responsibility. This desire will always crave more, always strive for a greater understanding of Who He is, that I may more effectively model His character. The Bible says that when we are given much, we are to give much. Over the years, God has blessed me in many ways, and desiring to know Him more is the very LEAST I offer back to heaven.
Through the various experiences and individuals I have just mentioned, God has used Pillsbury Baptist Bible College as an influential vessel of His Truth in my life. The desire to know God more fully is renewed with every lesson learned, every opportunity taken, and every memory made in the name of Christ. While my sentimental memory bank will not let me forget all that has helped shape my college experience, it will DEFINITELY be hard not to miss it. College is over; however, now is the time for us to carry our lanterns high into this dark world. Let us continue to be likeminded in the goal of glorifying God. May our desire to know God never be quenched, and let us focus on making memories that will last throughout Eternity.
