Most of my life, the things that I have done have been defined by words such as "daughter," "sister," or "student." Now that I am in my early twenties, while I still am all of those three words and I love being that, life has changed and my sole purpose in life is not to be just a good daughter, sister, or student. I dont even live close to my immediate family, and as far as college goes, yes it is important, but I certainly dont want my life to be defined as just a college student.
So where does that fit in when it comes to being part of a church? I haven't really figured it out, and mostly it is because I dont fall in any of the categories which women in churches are usually found: I'm not a wife, and I am not a mother. And really the only other category left is college student, which also poses a problem: the majority of leaders/active members in college groups are men (bands, announcements, sermons, etc etc). I dont have anything against men leading, in fact I think it is a good thing. However, I also believe women can lead and be a part of great things. It it is discouraging sometimes and I feel that many college age girls fall in a gap that leads to the unfullfiment and waste of amazing potential that could be used for God in great ways! This is the perfect age for young women to live a full on, selfless, passionate and crazy life for God: no husband, kids, or major responsabilities to take care of. Not to say we don't have a life, we certainly do. We're busy juggling classes, work, and social lives, but we can't find true fullfilment in that alone.
I want to start a group of college-age girls that is defined by living out the gospel in actions. I dont want another Bible study. Of course, it would all be based on the Bible, and I would like an older mature christian woman to keep us accountable. But i want us to use our talents, to dream for God, and to carry out the dreams within an environment that will impact the community and preach the gospel by our actions instead of only by the words we say. "With one heart and mind"
I dont know the logistics of it, or even how to get started, but that is why I have been praying about it, and now I'm blogging this.
Are we really willing to "leave this city better than we found it?"
Here are a few examples we can start to dream and pray for. However, this needs a group in unity to carry them out:
* The Ronald McDonald house is a place where parents can stay while their children are in surgery. The house has a full kitchen, however, their meals often consist of frozen meals that are microwaved. We could create a group and rotate so that once a week we could take them home made meals. The house is in St. Petersburg by the All Children's Hospital.
* A photographer could provide a free wedding photoshoot for a couple of low income that wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise.
* We could get involved in a program such as Big Brothers/Big sisters of America, with the purpose to mentor girls.
The idea is to use the talents we have been blessed with to bless others in our community. The idea for a group to do this together is because of the factor of diversity (personalitites, careers, talents, resources, ideas, etc).
I want us to reach out and show God's love with our actions. It would be an awesome opportunity to form relationships, share Christ, step out of our comfort zones, make a difference, and live a crazy cool adventure alonside God and a group of Christian women.
If this resonates in your heart, let's do it! Leave your comments, questions, ideas, concerns, etc etc, and we'll be on our way to enhancing our community together!
