Alma Mater, Hail!

Last night, our wonderful friends, Isaac and Cameron came over to hang out and to have a night of worship. Isaac led the group with his wonderful talents – it was a great evening, relishing the presence of Jesus in our space. Afterwards, Isaac sent me a song that he wrote and World Witness Team at Southwestern recorded last year. The song is called “We Pray” and Isaac wrote it a couple of years ago during a 48 hour prayer event. I remember the moment he told us about it and introduced us to it in the Fall of 2009. It soon became a favorite of many at SC (and it’s still my favorite today). I’ve been listening to the recording that he sent me a lot this morning, partly because I am avoiding writing a paper and most of all because I love it. It’s so anointed and beautiful. It takes me back to Southwestern every time.

As I sit here and listen to it I can pick out many familiar voices – Esther, Anna, Raisa, to name a few. It humbles my soul when I remember my time at Southwestern and all of the amazing people I was able to meet and befriend over the last 4 years. I see how the Lord used me in that space and formed my calling in such a profound way. I don’t know what my future looks like in terms of physical job locations, but, after listening to “We Pray,” I am reminded of my love for students. I am reminded of my appreciation for students who are so open to the Lord and his leading. I am reminded of my great leaders – especially Ashlee Alley and Martin Rude, who both encouraged and shaped me in great ways. I thoroughly enjoy where I am now, while also realizing that my time at Southwestern was a sacred time and space in history. Someday, I hope I can create this space for students at a college or university. My greatest wish is that Jesus would use me to create such a sacred space for students, where gifts and callings are wrestled with and discovered. I hope to create a space for beautiful things – anointed things, so that when my students are far, far away someday, and they hear a song that their fellow peer wrote and their friends recorded, they are taken back and ushered into a time of thankfulness before the Lord.

P.S. Hail My Alma Mater for being such a special place. I am so happy to be an alumnus! And my picture is from the Worship Outreach Compilation Album, and my best guess is this was when "We Pray" was recorded! I had to have Isaac, the song writer and music man extraordinaire in the pic!