Ant-on-line

Prayer of Thanksgiving October 23, 2009

Hmmm,

Where to start?  Amidst all the “things to do” and the many responsibilities, I’m taking the time to reflect on a few things to be thankful for.

I am indeed thankful for the opportunity to be work on campus, to meet students and be part of their lives as they discover Jesus Christ for the first time, or further get to know Jesus Christ.  I am so privileged to journey with students as they experience the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  It is wonderful to dialogue with God the Father and experience his faithfulness.

I know I can’t generalize all students, but students are busy – not always busy with studies, but busy with stuff.  There is so much “stuff” out there and the accessibility is hardly restricted.  I regularly meet with a graduate student from China and I often hear about how busy he is doing lab work, field work, and course work.  Yet I was encouraged that he really enjoys writing and reflecting on life.  I get a chance to meet him for lunch and talk about the everyday life, but the direction of life as well.  It’s great to be able to point him to parts of the Bible that might be relevant to his life.  I recently pointed him to Ecclesiastes and I wonder what types of discussion we’ll have as he reads and considers  the expression of meaningless in labour and toil.

I’m also thankful to work with Roslyn.  It is such a unique opportunity to work alongside Roslyn and share the joys and challenges of reaching university students with the gospel.  The conversations we have and hearing about student engaging other students is so encouraging.

And talking about all this just leaves me thankful for the ultimate, a relationship in which I come to know God.  A relationship that changes me, from the inside out.  Having been married for just over a year now, I am able to see how a committed relationship changes me.  I am thankful for redemption, the redemption of all of me: my purpose, my relationships, my spirit, my destiny, my attitude, my hope, and so much more.  I look back at this past year, and I indeed confess that God has been doing a lot of construction work in my life and know it is part of his plan to involve me in other peoples’ lives.

Thank-you God for all that YOU are.  To know you is life, full life!

Anton