I’ve been there. I was a college freshman who was lost searching for what would give me an identity. What would give me hope. What would make me feel loved. As a college student, one desires to fit in and find her place and to meet a guy.
At least, that is what I wanted.
My freshman year of college I met a guy at orientation. He was beautiful. I thought he would be the best thing to happen to me in college. We flirted and he made me feel wanted and loved. College had yet to begin, and I had met a guy. I believed my life was made. I remember being held by him. Thinking that this must be it. This is the feeling everyone longs for.
He raped me that night and my idea of what a perfect and fun college life looked like was broken into pieces.
Did you know that 1 in 4 college girls are raped?
Because of this crazy statistic, it becomes even more important to teach young women that a man won’t make them feel completely loved or valued. We need to teach young women that their identity must be found in Jesus.
We need to reach our freshmen for Jesus. If I hadn’t met Jesus in the midst of my depression following my rape, I would be in a pit of shame. Women who have experienced sexual abuse experience intense shame. This shame is so powerful that it can destroy lives.
The good news is that Jesus came to free us from shame.
Dear God, protect these girls. But if you have to, break their hearts and rock their worlds so they find you. During my freshman year, my world was rocked. My idea for life was broken, but it led me to Jesus. It led me to the arms of my savior.
I pray that you would forget about trying to fit in, find approval, and “experience” college.
No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, I want you to know 3 things:
1.You are loved & worth dying for.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
2. You were created for a purpose.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10.
3. You have been uniquely created, designed & gifted.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14.
There is good news. Our God has overcome death. Jesus died and then came back to life. If the God of this world can conquer death, how much more can he conquer the problems of a freshman girl in college. He can conquer your fears, your questions, your pains, your insecurities, your doubts, your heartache, and your loneliness. He can conquer these things because he already conquered death.
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