By Bekah

It’s been a bit of a crazy first semester to say the least. I’ve been back in Guelph, where I am in my third year studying animal biology. My dream is to apply to vet school and one day work overseas – but we’ll see where God leads!

Right now, though, everything’s online, so I’m pretty much in my room 75 per cent of the time working on schoolwork. Emotionally, mentally, and physically I’m doing just fine, and for that, I’m really grateful. I know it’s not always the norm nowadays – especially for university students.

Literally an At-Home-Christian

Something I have been wrestling with, though, along with some of the other students in our InterVarsity community, is the idea of being an at-home-Christian, someone who is literally just a Christian at home, in their room, where we work, sleep, play and eat.

As someone who is normally out and about, I felt like such a large piece of how I had been living for Jesus was with those friends I would chat with daily on campus, always keeping an eye out for a chance to love on them the way Jesus loved – giving random smiles to strangers, or choosing to stop and help out someone who needed a hand even if I was running late for something. Not huge things, but those were the little things that filled my days with moments of living for Him and not myself.

I started going to InterVarsity at the University of Guelph in first year and fell in love with the community, especially the heart they all had for Jesus and His ministry on campus. I became a member of the exec team in my second year and get to help lead our weekly Bible Studies and play the guitar when we take the time to worship together. InterVarsity has been an enormous part of my university experience and I am so grateful for the opportunities it’s provided me to grow and to share Jesus’s love on campus!

Thriving is Possible

Now a bunch of us find ourselves re-evaluating what it means to live for Christ from the not-so-comfort of our own home – whether that means connecting with friends via FaceTime, serving at church by helping out with Sunday school online, or just diving deeper into our own personal time with Jesus. There are lots of ways still to thrive and live for Him. For me, and many of my close friends at school, InterVarsity has been another huge aspect of that this semester.

Jesus calls us to live in community, to love one another, to encourage one another and to serve each other – the list goes on. To say that living in community is hard when you live in your room, would be an understatement. But our weekly Bible studies, small groups, and online ‘potlucks’ have enabled us to connect with friends and to continue to live out our Christian walk well in this time of isolation. I know, personally, that every week I have the chance to pray for others, to be encouraged by other students who are in this with me, and to dig into His Word alongside people who are just as eager as I am to know Jesus more. Not only that, but InterVarsity has provided me with a place where I get to pour out my heart in service to Him – something He also calls us to do!

Discomfort and Blessing

This semester has been odd, unprecedented and beyond my comfort zone, but also a blessing. Jesus has narrowed my road of walking with Him down to some very specific areas that I have had the pleasure of pouring into during this season. InterVarsity has been one of those areas and I am so grateful I am able to be a part of it!

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