When I was a senior in high school, I determined I was going to find the right college for me no matter how long it took. I turned to page one of U.S. News and World Reports and started making my list based off things like religious affiliation, geographic placement, and (let’s be honest, guys) male-to-female ratio. My dad took a look at the list and said, “These are all great, but there’s one I think you should add. It’s called Taylor University.” I had never heard of Taylor, but I wrote it down because I thought it would be the nice thing to do for my parents. Flash forward to now, and I guess I want to start off by saying, “Thanks, Dad.”
My Taylor University experience is branded by friendship. Class of 2015, we laughed together at every presidential reading of, “Twas the Night Before Finals.” We cried together when we only had ten minutes left of that movie and our P.A. announced, “Open house is over.” We supported each other when we woke up one morning to find no Bob Craton emails in our inboxes. We watched as new buildings were constructed around campus and our landscape changed. Since freshman move-in day until now, we have done life together.
My time at Taylor University has changed the way I view serving others. Service still means the obvious things, like mowing a lawn, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or washing someone’s feet. But tomorrow, an act of service will mean opening my hands and sharing my collection of friends with the world. There are so many hurting people out there who need a friend. Although goodbyes are difficult, it brings me happiness to know that saying goodbye after graduation will mean that someone else in the world gets to say “hello” to a Taylor Trojan who will show him or her the love of Christ.
Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Sometimes, God’s work within us is heartbreaking. It means relocating and adjusting and making new friends. But the end of this verse is a reminder that one day this idea of friendship will be completed as we worship Jesus together forever.
Thank you, Class of 2015, for a great four years. I’m glad we’re friends.