Remembering the Past but Living in the Present and for the Future

This week's post reflects on the tragic events April 16, 2007. Allyson is one of the faithful attenders of our Friday women's Bible study/discussion group so we're excited to finally have a post from her. Please comment or share what aspects of her Meditation most touched you.

I can’t help but think about, reflect, and meditate on the fact that it has now been 5 years since the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. Even though I wasn’t a student here yet, and I was actually in the midst of working towards acceptance literally in the very weeks that followed April 16th, I still experience a lot of feelings surrounding that day.

I think this year is actually the year the tragedy has affected me the most, the year that I’ve done the most reflection on, and the first year that I’ve approached the whole situation from a Christian perspective. I’ve also thought about where I was 5 years ago today and where I am now. I remember sitting on the couch watching it all unfold on CNN because I was up much earlier than usual because I was mad at my mom for taking my cell phone away as punishment for “sneaking out” the previous day. Yes. I was at a very low point back then. I was not a Christian, had no idea what it meant to be a Christian in fact. Yet, God provided the means for me to come here, and though I wasn’t aware of it at the time, He called me to come to this campus through the sense of community I felt in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Over the last 5 years, as a Hokie, I have grown so much, and felt the sense of community on this campus, in the town of Blacksburg as a whole, and especially within the BCM. God put me here for a reason and He placed people in my life whom I would have never met if it weren’t for Virginia Tech. These Christian friends from the BCM, who live their lives according to God’s will, embodying our university’s motto “Ut Prosim”, That I May Serve, to the level of what we’re called to do as Christians - to share Christ’s love with others- have forever changed my life.

I want to share a verse that I’ve often heard Darrell and others mention as being the life verse of Brian Bluhm, our brother in Christ who was taken on that fateful day:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”- Jeremiah 29:11

To me this verse points us all towards our faith in Jesus Christ, and to God as our provider; when the future seems unknown or rocky, or seems like it has been wrongfully cheated out of us through a tragic, violent act, we still are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus and we still have HOPE for a FUTURE.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”-Ephesians 2:8

When we think about the fact that the grace we receive through our faith is truly a gift from God, from the same God who CREATED us:

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them,” –Genesis 1:27

And when we think of God as the creator of all the world, over heaven and earth, that everything comes from Him, it can be challenging to accept how bad things in this world can happen. It can be difficult to remember that God as omnipotent ruler of the world allowed April 16, 2007 to happen. Many who are not believers question and doubt God, for why He could let something so evil occur to His people; these are not easily answerable questions, but we need to rest in the fact that those 32 victims, who were all exemplary students and faculties, at the tops of their classes, strong Christians, leaders in their community, whose lives were all sacrificed that day, that these people were the perfect example of Virginia Tech students and faculty. I can’t help but think that these victims, while they were yet sinners, were used by God to awaken this campus and to draw this community together and to bring about love from the Father in the healing of the aftermath.

I know that the number of deaths that occurred on April 16th, 2007 is always a touchy subject. I believe that there were 32 innocent victims who were shot viciously by one student. But I can’t help to think about that other student too, the shooter. He also lost his life, and he was so broken and so driven into desperation that he saw no solution other than to take the lives of strangers and himself. He was an unreached member of our campus; he was lost. Although it’s hard to think of remembering 33, I know as Christians that we are called to love the broken and the non-believers in addition to the saved. I know that we should pray for his family; when I think about how we are called to respond to this situation as Christians, I think about the fact that we are called to love our enemies as well.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”-Matthew 5:43-48

I stand here today, saved and a follower of Jesus Christ, able and ready to serve and love the world as He calls us to, in part because I’m a Hokie, and I’m a Hokie in part because I felt connected to come here after April 16th. I have learned that the people we come across in our daily lives, in the BCM and within our classes are so incredibly important. I have thought and reflected all semester over the memory verse that Darrell had us look at back in January:

“So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you have become so dear to us.”-1 Thessalonians 2:8

I know this seems like a simple verse, or maybe I’ve blown it way out of proportion in my own life, but I feel like we all need to reflect on this and live our lives in a way with the people around us that we are both witnessing/sharing the gospel, but also just sharing our lives. As a wise BCM North member shared in a video shown at Senior Bible study this past week, we need to conduct ourselves around the people in a way such that they will DESIRE to know Christ-this doesn’t translate to Bible beating, but rather building relationships.

So to close this out, my meditation has centered on reflection of the past, on knowing what our identity is through Christ, and on living our lives according to what He has called us to, to become disciples to others, even in the midst of trial. Because, as April 16, 2007 is a reminder, we can be called to leave this earth at anytime, so we need to act now.

Meditation Monday: Waiting by Jen S.

This week's post is from Jen S. Thanks for your thoughts and the Scriptures you shared!

STOP! Before you read, I encourage you to pray. Place your worries, your doubts, your troubles, you anxieties, or whatever is holding you down and leave it before the feet of the Father. Truly, I ask you to cast all of those things before the Father.

One word. Waiting. Whatever the reaction may be when this word is said, we all are very familiar with this. This semester has been an incredibly challenging season of my life. A couple areas of my life that the Lord has been refining and growing are trust and waiting. Specifically, I want to touch on waiting a bit and how it could relate to what you ladies may be encountering.

This semester has been filled with sitting before the feet of the Father and surrendering my anxious heart, racing thoughts, and the desire to become impatient. It's been a hard thing to surrender. I've been realizing that my need for control and for an even bigger problem, the compulsion for the "unseen or unknown" areas of my life to be answered. I've been searching for answers and solutions, but my understanding is limited. Because of this, I've been trying to create my own vision of what the future looks like and in turn, God has reminded me how I am never in control. I may try. I may fight. I may resist, but I am fighting against Him. Are there things in your life that require you to walk by faith? Are you resisting God's perfect plan of the things that lay ahead of you? Right now, I challenge you to thank Him for His unfailing love and how he guides our paths. Something that could be intertwined to this idea: trust. Who do you trust? This seems like a silly, simple question, but I challenge you to ponder on this. Are you rooted and established in the truth of God's promises within His word or do lies fill your hearts and minds with doubt?

Marinate in these truths:

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

   whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

   that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

   its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

   and never fails to bear fruit.”

-Jeremiah 17:7-8

For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

-Psalm 33:4

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

-Romans 5:3-5

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

-Romans 12:12

For great is your love, higher than the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

-Psalm 108:4

The world is noisy and the sphere of influence and its voices are all around us. Sometimes, it could get hard to hear the Lord's whisper when the things of this world are shouting contradicting statements. More specifically, a word that we are all too familiar with seems to model the season of my life perfectly. Waiting. There is beauty in this idea of waiting and yielding to the Lord's will that I have been missing out on. My hope is that inexpressible joy would be filled in all of your hearts right now. See, waiting is a daily occurrence. With patience and endurance, some are able to handle mustering through this and others, struggle and feel defeated. We begin to grow weary, anxious, fearful, and letdown. Whether you are waiting in line at a dining hall, checking your watch in the hope you didn't miss your bus, or counting down the seconds until lecture is over, we find ourselves in the sea of waiting. In this time period, it is crucial to continue to gaze upon the Father and acknowledge that in His time, he makes things beautiful. (Ecc. 3)

Lastly, I encourage you all to listen to this song. While you are waiting, praise and thank the Father! Because His design is perfect and the intentions are for our good, we can rest in knowing that He who is faithful to begin a good work in us is good to finish it to completion. Therefore, it will not be lacking anything! Love you sisters!

Friendly Friday!

Name: Annalee Hunter
Major: Theater Arts

Most interesting hobby: I make faith based Jewelry!

Favorite thing about being a student at VT: This might sound strange, but one of my favorite things about VT is ABP in squires, and not because of the food. I love seeing fellow believers (member of BCM or no) sitting down and reading their bibles or talking to friends about Jesus. When I walk into ABP I sense such a great joy about the place, and I know it’s because Jesus dwells strongly in those walls because believers gather there to praise Him. It’s a form of ministry which is inspiring, rare and beautiful.

If you could do anything without the possibility of failure and money wasnt a restraint: what would you do? My mother has never been out of the country and has never had a chance for a vacation. Once she had a chance to go to Europe for a month without paying anything. But because I was going through extreme anxieties among other issues, she chose to stay because of me. So I would take my mother all over the world and experience every kind of culture with her. She has such a thirst for knowledge and seeing my mother talking, laughing, and sharing the gospel with people all over the world and having new adventures would be one of my most treasured gifts in this life.

What is my favorite thing to do to rest and relax? When I have had a long day and I just want to rest I instead clean my room, change my sheets, take a shower, put my favorite night gown on and snuggle up in my bed with my cat next to me and my sleeping music “Tranquil Babbling Brook” playing in the background while I read my favorite book.

Are you reading any books right now? I’m reading Every Woman’s Battle (compliments to Lindsey Skipper), Wild At Heart (Such a good read), and I’m re reading my favorite book as a child called Mara Daughter of the Nile (It’s still as good as I remember!). And of course, I’m reading my all-time favorite book: the Bible!

Favorite place to eat lunch? My mama’s kitchen!

What are you looking forward to about summer? Studying with the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo Tuscany for 6 weeks. Some of the greatest physical theater actors teach there! God is the one gave me this chance, ALL Him!

How has God encouraged you lately? God has been teaching me to rely completely and totally on him when things couldn’t get worse. I always struggled with getting into His word as much as I should, and recently God has been challenging me to get in the word almost every day. And wow, each time He always teaches me something new, and each time I have to end my “Jesus time” I don’t want to. He’s been showing me patience, endurance and humbleness. Every day my love for Him gets stronger and stronger. He is my everything.

Meditation Monday: Priorities by Ar M.

This week's contributor is Ar. She led the Women's Discussion/Bible Study last week on the topic of vulnerability. She shared some great thoughts and recommended a few books that are helpful for issues of relationships, friendships, communication and vulnerability. Take some time to read her meditation below and I pray it encourages you today!

At times, I can be a mess with my priorities. It shouldn't be hard to put God first, and yet how often do I do it? And then procrastination is an issue, and then all or parts of my day can also be filled with my own desires and plans, rather than God's or having a heart of service.

Proverbs 6:6-8 -- "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest."

Psalm 46:10 -- "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

The bible doesn't contradict, so how can I be busy like an ant, yet be still? It reminds me of how can I give money to God, yet still have money--God created a design where we give to Him first, yet still have money. God also created life where we honor Him first, yet still have time in the day for rest and productivity. Proverbs 3:9 says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops." As a college student, you may not feel wealthy with your time, but in many ways we still are. If time is in our possession, we must still give God the firstfruits of this wealth. In giving God time, we can be still and know Him. Know that He is the God who loves us; saves us; heals us. 

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." It can be burdensome to have work and responsibilities, yet God gives me rest and I can go forth like the ant and move, rather than being lazy or being consumed by worry and stress.