It is hard to believe that classes are officially over. It has been one crazy year. When I think of all
that has happened in my own life over the last nine months I am staggered by the many changes that have
taken place. There were so many times when I thougt, "Can I really make it through?" And here I am on
the other side of such silly thoughts. Maybe you are on the other side of your own silly thoughts.
Anyway, praise God we made it! Now if we can just survive finals!
Here are some activities to help the last days along:
Tonight is the last movie on the lawn. We'll set up the grill on DUC South Lawn about 6pm. We'll give
away free burgers and dogs as long as they last. After that we'll watch "Facing the Giants" on the
Academic Complex. Should be fun. If it rains we'll take the party back to the Wesley Foundation.
Next week's awesome adventures:
Ladies Tea Party--at my house Tuesday at 5:30pm. I'm pulling out the good china girls!
Guys Cookout--at my house Thursday at 5:30pm. These are the special ranch and A-1 burgers, hand
pattied.
Roadtrip to Nashville--Friday we'll celebrate the end of the semester by riding down to the Spaghetti
Factory downtown Nashville.
Join us for some good times!!
Now for Sami's Ramblings About Jesus:
Last night I got the privilege of speaking to a group of high school students about the things that
matter most. I asked them about the things they cared about the most, as well as their biggest
challenges. Their responses were so thoughtful and honest. The biggest issues centered on trust and the
difficulty of living up to expectations. As you read this, you are probably thinking something
like, "Some things never change." In the midst of taking a deep look into the core of who we are, we
then listened to the deep wisdom of Scripture. I say listened because several of the students read the
passage aloud, and all of us listened for those places where the word of God really seemed to speak to
those deep places in our hearts. The passage we looked at came from Proverbs 3: "Trust in the Lord with
all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall
make your paths straight." Good words to live by.
Amazing how such ancient words spoke so powerfully to the present realities of this very young
generation. In the tension of this last week of school, it speaks to us as well. This is a time when it
is so easy to try to manipulate one's life into a neat package, and say to the world, "This is who I
am!" But like all tests in life, some finals are harder than others to conquer. At the end of next week
some students will be doing a victory dance; some will be wearily traveling home feeling like they've
been beaten down. And so the words of comfort come: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean
not on your own understanding." Comfort! What comfort?!
The comfort of letting God be God, the comfort of entrusting ourselves to hands more capable than our
own, the comfort of the relief that comes when we admit that we don't know it all. The truth is we don't
need to know it all. We just need to surrender it all into the sturdy, yet gentle, tender, yet wise,
hands of God.
I spoke with a young man last night who was so full of Jesus, suffused with a passion that lit up his
eyes and his heart. He was there to help with the youth. He shared with me the story of how he left the
University he was enrolled in to return home and attend the local community college. Most young people
would be devastated by such a move. But this young man's eyes shown as he told me how God had
orchestrated this move in his life, and in so doing had opened up possibilities for him that were his
true heart's desire, including a new relationship that brought him much joy and a closeness to his
mentors that buoyed him up. He was involved in a powerful ministry to youth that he loved. If he had
trusted in his own wisdom he would have been lost and miserable. By trusting God at a difficult
intersection in his life, he was found and blessed. The world just can't offer that.
So in these final days when anxieties run so high, remember who is really in charge, who is really Master
of the universe. No, it's not he-man. It's God. Who loves you and calls you by name. Trust me, there
is great safety and joy in answering. Until next time. . . .
Blessings,
Sami
Rev. Sami Wilson
Campus Minister/Director
WKU Wesley Foundation
1355 College St.
Bowling Green, KY 42101
(270) 842-2880
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