Blacksburg, my home away from home for most of the past 4 1/2 years. I've visited off and on over the past several months for football and friends. A piece of my heart will always be here. As I write this I'm on a friend's couch in a townhouse near Lane Stadium. Last night's football game (LET'S GO HOKIES!) was a fantastic reason to take a bit of vacation from work. As I hung out with old friends last night and plan to do the same today, it got me thinking about all the memories I've had in this place. I discovered myself on this campus. Here's just a few of the things I learn when I come back...
1. True friends are forever. Sure that sounds cliche, but so many of the people I've met here have shown me what true friendship really means. Friends are there for you in the deepest and most meaningful way. Whether its life issues or school issues or spiritual issues or a usual combination of them all, true friends stick with you. And as I drive back here and see the people who I have walked with and fought with and struggled through life with over the past four years, it reminds me of our resiliency. It reminds me of the deep love within a group of people with shared experiences. And it constantly reminds me of our desperate and human need for community. We are not wired to walk this earth alone. We aren't built that way and I don't think we are meant to live that way. I found that community through [nlcf] (www.nlcf.net) and through all those crazy and amazing people in my major. It hurts me to not be around my friends and this community I've known for years now, but as my brother Franklin said, "We are connected by bonds far stronger than distance."
2. Hokie Nation. Hokie Pride. We are Virginia Tech. We are the Hokies. To some those words and statements are nice little slogans for a group of people affiliated with a particular college. For us it runs in our blood. The vast majority of students and alumni I know have such passion and spirit for this university it is stunning. And inspiring. We have a stone the football players touch before every entrance into Lane Stadium. Above it are inscribed the words "For those who have passed, for those to come, reach for excellence."
3. Times change. I'm no longer a student here and I can never come back here as I once did, looking forward to an apartment with my old roommates and the challenges of classes. But life moves on, and we are always writing new chapters in our story. Between looking ahead to the future and remembering the past, it can be somewhat intimidating. But my brothers Nick and Franklin seem to always remind me that what we've been through prepares us for the unknown, and that we do not walk alone. Not only do I have a community of friends and family that will stand by me, I have a God who will lead me, guide me, and walk with me every step of the way. That is both encouraging and challenging. May I always strive to be better than who I was yesterday. And may I keep my eyes open to what the Lord wants me to see.
"Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds." - Psalm 77:10-12
No comments:
Post a Comment