Togetherness

As I reflect on my freshman year of college, I think of the amount of change I’ve experienced. Changes socially, academically, and spiritually. 

Growing up in Tuscaloosa helped me understand the idea of community and helping others. After experiencing the tornado that destroyed our town in 2011 and being completely involved in disaster relief, including rebuilding our own building at Central, it became evident to me that who you know and who you involve yourself with is so important. Our city came together in unimaginable ways and came out on the other side better than we were before. I experienced this at only eleven years old, but so many things from this experience stuck with me. 

The first thing that comes to mind is togetherness. 

Growing up in a college town makes you think you have it easier when you make the switch from high school to college. That is far from the truth.

Changes are inevitable in our lives and heading to college as a freshman who was raised in Tuscaloosa has definitely been the epitome of change for me. You learn to live on your own, make sure you have clean clothes, make sure you eat, and be proactive in your school work without being told. You never realize how dependent you are on your parents, family or certain friends until you undergo changes in your life. Those people are still there, but technically, you’re doing it on your own. 

That can be a scary thought: “I’m alone”. Sometimes it feels like that. It feels like nobody gets it, they don’t know what you’re going through or what you’re dealing with. It’s something we all deal with but as Christians, we can find comfort in knowing even if we are on our own, we have a friend, mentor, leader, and relationship in God.

That is such a special thing to have, to know there is always someone who will listen and who is bigger than any of our problems. My favorite verse, found in Colossians 1:17 says “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” That is such a powerful statement to me knowing that no matter what, God is in full control. 

Our world can get crazy and messy, but having a constant in your faith, and being able to surround yourself with people like your church family and T4C is so important. Tide 4 Christ was my one complete constant freshman year and it was always so comforting knowing I had a group of like-minded Christians to immerse myself in.