I was out of the office last week, so yesterday was my first day back on campus since classes resumed post-spring break.
I met with a couple of students who, even after a week of attempting to re-engage, were struggling to:
- 'be present',
- be 'interested' in there classes and what was happening on campus,
- be 'motivated' to study,
- 'deal with' all of the apathy they see around them and
- 'stay put' as they are ready to return to their meaningful spring break locations.
While there are many students that come back from their break renewed and ready to crank out the remainder of the semester, there are also those who come back - having had a taste the summer break to come - and are just ready to be done... but there are also those students who return to our campuses after spring break that have been so moved by how they experienced God over their break that all they want to do is 'go back'.
These students have been so moved, challenged and even changed by their spring break experience/s that they find themselves no longer content with life back on campus.
When God moves we never know what the results will be.
Often the ways in which we view life are profoundly changed... the lens through which we look at the world is significantly altered... and this has a dramatic impact on our priorities in day-to-day life.
Students can struggle to know how to interpret this kind of life change, how to live out some of the new priorities they have discovered and even whether or not to stay at school.
This is a critical time for those of us who serve these students, to come alongside them and listen, ask questions and help them to discern how God is leading and moving.
This is a process that may take the rest of the semester for some of our students... a struggle that we must be willing to embrace with our students.
How have you experienced this in your ministry with students?
How have you seen God work through this process?
I'd love to hear your stories!
