To the first year RA who will be moving into my room next year. Everything is all new and fresh, you're fully ignorant in all that it means to this new role in college life. You might feel slightly prepared, but that slight feeling is overshadowed by the many areas in which you feel unqualified, and unprepared for this responsibility. This hesitation or even fear is a good thing. It reminds you that this new role is way too big for you to handle on your own. It is an incredible opportunity that has helped to grow me in many ways and I am grateful to have had that time. Now it is your turn to come behind me and fill that gap we graduates leave behind. I leave you with some things I learned along the way either through observation or experience. These are not exhaustive by any means, especially as these are just the ones I thought of quickly.
First off, make absolutely sure you have your own consistent walk with the Lord. It is so important. There is nothing you can do for anyone else if you are not where you need to be. Sincerity is huge in my book. You need to completely rely on the Lord. Balancing time, sleep, work, classes, homework, social life, and/or a significant other is a challenge already, and then you add in this new thing to juggle. If you strive to do it in your own might, you are destined to drop many if not all the things. But God's grace is sufficient and it amazes me that every time I was struggling to balance everything, I would evaluate my own life, renew my focus where it should be, and everything would be fine. YOU cannot do it, but He can, so rely on Him and keep your relationship with Him strong and consistent. Just when it is most difficult to make time to include your devotions is exactly the time it is most important for you to have them. Secondly, have the right view of your position. It is easy to come into this year with your own preconceived ideas on how it will go. Stay open to what the Lord has for you and be willing to learn. Don't compare what you think it should be like to your season of life you are in right now. Take it seriously, but be Christ-like in that. You are no better than anyone else. Don't expect everyone else to do things that you don't do yourself. Take in everything you can from inservice and let that be your standard for what you will be doing. Third, stay focused. Don't allow your own agenda to overshadow this aspect of your life. It is so easy to allow your to-do list, homework list, or work schedule to distract you from the opportunities that lie around you. At times it feels that something must give in your schedule and this may be the thing that goes, but don't allow that to be the case. Certain times of the year it is tempting to just coast along and go through the flow of college life, but don't become so relaxed in your mindset that you float on by opportunities, relationships, and responsibilities. Fourth, have fun. It is pretty fantastic. No, it's not always "fun" or "convenient", but what is? Don't be afraid to love it and have fun with it. The Lord placed each one of those girls in your dorm for a reason, so get to know them. Love them. Not everyone will be your best friend and that's okay, but don't let that stop you from loving and praying for them. There is so much potential to learn a great deal of ministry application throughout your time here. Do not allow that to pass you by. You learn best by doing. Take ownership. I leave you with this... you may be an RA if your first response to someone saying they're sick is to grab paperwork. You may be an RA if you find yourself knocking on your own room's door, or the community bathroom door before entering. And you might be an RA if your vocabulary consists of a lot of abbreviations and acronyms for paperwork which confuse all your other friends, and even yourself.
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Lizzy parkerMarriage.
Motherhood. Ministry. Missions. Archives
January 2023
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