tear off roofs...

This semester has been a flurry of activity, to say the least! The Lord has been SO good to provide some awesome ministry opportunities!

Perhaps the most exciting of these opportunities is what God is doing in the Tri Delta sorority on campus. As I have mentioned before, I have been partnering with Carly, a Junior from my discipleship group, in ministry there. It has been such a sweet joy to see Carly growing in her vision for giving her life away to those around her. She, along with five other Sophomores living in the house, have begun to meet together weekly to pray for their sorority. I encouraged them to make an "impossible list" of girls in their sorority who would be the least likely to ever become believers and pray for them by name. As they have begun to meet, pray, and ask God to use them to impact their sorority sisters, God has provided over and above what they ever asked for!

We have put together a book club for the girls living in the sorority house and 20 girls have signed up! That's one-third of the girls living in the house! The first book we're reading is Sex and the City Uncovered: Exposing the Emptiness and Healing the Hurt by Marian Jordan. The book does a wonderful job of revealing the broken nature of the "sex and the city" lifestyle: boys, alcohol, and partying. All of these things, while they may provide temporary excitement and satisfaction, ultimately come up empty. The author shows that the only true, lasting satisfaction is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He alone satisfies our deepest longings for love and acceptance, giving us lasting joy.

I am thrilled to be a part of this book club! Please pray that God will use it as a jumping-off point into more gospel conversations with girls in the house! Pray for boldness for me, Carly, and the other five believers as we try to reach out to these young women. I'm trying to spend as much time in the house as possible, going over to the house for lunch and just hanging out.

A scripture that has proven to be a huge challenge and encouragement to me as I have thought and prayed for Tri Delta has been Mark 2: 4-5:

"...And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'"

This story amazes me. The paralytic's friends were so desperate to get him to Jesus, they were willing to do anything. I can just see them standing outside of the crowded door, wondering what to do, and suddenly thinking, "well, let's just tear off the roof." Their faith that Jesus could heal the paralytic drove them to do whatever it took, even tear off the roof.

This passage hits me like a wrecking ball. I confess that so often my faith is not like that of the paralytic's friends. I am not willing to "tear off roofs" for people, so-to-speak. But God, by his grace, is changing my heart. I truly want these young sorority women to know Him. I'm praying that God will grow in me a heart that is willing to do whatever it takes to get people to Jesus. I want to be like the paralytic's friends!

Thank you so much for your partnership with me in ministry at the University of Georgia. God is truly using you to have amazing impact for His kingdom. To Him be the glory!

Love in Him,
Caitlin