Laura Althaus

1 John 4:18-19
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. 

Reflection:

Like all of you, my 2020 was a doozy. Half of my senior year of high school disappeared, next went my summer, and my hope in a normal freshman year of college. Amidst it all, I graduated out of Pure Sound and student ministries at St. Luke’s, my tight-knit small group disbanded from our weekly Wednesday night meetings, and the majority of my friends were splitting up to different parts of the country. The transition into college is hard enough on its own, but a raging global pandemic only added to the difficulty. How would I meet anybody? Would I make any friends? When it came to thinking about if I’d have a loving Christian community when I started college in Fall 2020, I was terrified.  Even still, God’s love was at work casting out fear.

I said a prayer, and fearfully walked into a socially distant campus ministry event the first day of the semester. I didn’t know a single person in the room nor could I even see the bottom half of anyone’s face. Despite the setbacks, it only took a few upperclassmen eagerly striking up conversations with me to make me feel like I belonged there. God’s love was at work. 

 

I joined a Bible study and made friends. I gained people I actively pray for and who pray for me. These are people that got to know me, with whom I can share my struggles and be held accountable. I have a group of people who show me Christ’s love every day. A loving community stepped in right when I felt like my previous community as I knew it was no more. God’s love was at work.

 

Out of God’s love, God sends us the people we need right when we need them. We’ve been given people to love and to be loved by. God knows our needs before we do and meets them simply because of this great love that is always at work. Sophomore year is beginning in a similar way… with God’s love at work around me.

 

Prayer: 

Father, thank you for loving us so thoroughly. Thank you for our friends and family. Thank you for the privilege it is to love and be loved by them. Your perfect love casts out all fear. Please be with us when we are afraid and be near those who are lonely. We love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.