As I hold my old student ID card in my hand, I鈥檓 reminded of a different path I could have taken. A different life. A different future. Most of all though, I鈥檓 grateful. I鈥檓 grateful my plans never came to fruition. I鈥檓 grateful for God鈥檚 will. I鈥檓 grateful He gave me His best.
You see, I wasn鈥檛 supposed to be at Covenant. I began the semester at Florida State University 鈥� a college I dreamed of attending for five years. Tallahassee was my hometown, and I had many friends there and at FSU. Plus, it was three hours from my current home, and I had in-state tuition and scholarships. When I moved into my dorm, I was ecstatic. But my few days at FSU were dark. I had a difficult rooming situation, a hard living environment, and was very disheartened by all the illicit behavior around me. I felt unsafe. I felt unwelcome. I felt so far from anything good. Five days later I moved into Covenant.
Now, I don鈥檛 want to make it sound like public state schools can鈥檛 be wonderful. I know many people, many strong Christians, who are thriving at secular colleges, and they are great lights to a dying world. They bring the love and heart of Jesus to a campus culture that is broken and hurting. However, this doesn鈥檛 mean that state universities are for everyone. FSU wasn鈥檛 for me, and God knew that in calling me here.
My fellow students鈥e鈥檙e at Covenant for a reason. God has called you to this place for a purpose, and in this season where we reflect on gratitude, I hope you鈥檙e grateful for our college.
I understand that most of you grew up in strong, Christian households. Many of you were homeschooled or attended private and/or Christian schools. Because of this, you went from one comfortable environment to another. You left a Christian community for another Christian community. Covenant is familiar, and this may breed great love or great contempt in your hearts.
While Covenant is familiar to me, I spent four days and three nights at FSU. My time there was short but impactful. When I arrived at Covenant, I was not your typical new student. My first days here were colored by what I knew I left. Sure, others in my class were happy to be on the mountain, but I think I was one of the happiest.
Our lives are full of seasons鈥攕easons of joy and seasons of difficulty. But for me, these past months have been a joyful season filled with overwhelming gratitude. I find myself waking up grateful. I find myself walking around campus grateful. I find myself in class or at chapel or at dinner or with friends just鈥� grateful. From the first morning I woke up in my room in Mac on Rowan, I was grateful.
My fellow students, do you realize how blessed we are to attend this college of ours? I know Covenant has its faults. I know everything鈥檚 not perfect here. It鈥檚 not perfect because we鈥檙e sinners. But this college 鈥� it鈥檚 beautiful. And these people 鈥� they鈥檙e beautiful. I am continually amazed that we attend a college that loves and magnifies the name of Jesus. I am near to tears when I realize that the hearts of Covenant students and faculty are directed towards recognizing the preeminence of Christ in all things. Never take this for granted. It鈥檚 so easy to despise 鈥渢he Christian bubble.鈥� It鈥檚 so easy to grow comfortable with the Gospel. It鈥檚 so easy to overlook our mandate to glorify God.
Life is full here, whether you think so or not. You have professors pointing you to Christ. You have classes centered on the beauty of God鈥檚 redemptive work. You have a college passionate about shepherding you and your fellow students. You have dear friends, godly men and women, to pray with you, fight with you, learn with you, laugh with you, and grow with you.
The people I鈥檝e met here have become some of my dearest friends. To the women of Rowan, to the men of Suburbs, to my Cornerstone church family, to all the amazing friends I know from classes and around campus鈥 love you. I thank God for you. My life is so wonderful because you are beside me. To see your faces every day is one of my greatest joys.
Coming from FSU to Covenant, I rejoiced at the invitation to join a community of believers. I came from a community that had the wrong perspective on everything to a community whose life purpose, sense of reality, and hope of eternity was founded on Christ. What a blessed thing this is! When we raise our voices in chapel, when we pray before our classes, when we enjoy Prayer and Praise with our halls, I hope your eyes and hearts are open to see how blessed we are to worship the Lord together. I pray that just because Covenant鈥檚 values and worldview may be familiar, you鈥檒l never take them for granted.
I pray you embrace your calling to live lives honoring to God. Don鈥檛 be fooled into thinking you鈥檙e missing out on 鈥渢he college experience.鈥� I witnessed 鈥渢he college experience鈥� up close. I saw what it did to people鈥攊t broke hearts, it destroyed relationships, it ruined lives. Instead, as Christians and as Covenant students, we are called to serve a God who restores hearts, rebuilds relationships, and redeems lives.
Brothers and Sisters, this Thanksgiving be grateful for this college and for each other. On this mountain, we are not simply pursuing degrees. We are chasing after the presence of God. And best yet, God freely gives us His presence. And when God gives us His presence, He promises joy. And when we have God鈥檚 joy, we cannot help but lift our hands and hearts in praise. Praise God for Covenant! Praise God for you!