Guest Blog: Lauren Reece
The Journey Begins
These past two years I’ve been on a journey. A
journey of healing, of faith, and of realizing exactly who I am in Christ. A
journey that I know has just began. I have been at Ignite for two years now,
and as graduation approaches in three weeks, I have mixed emotions. Emotions of
happiness, of accomplishment but also of sadness and grief as I know that my
mother is not here to watch me walk across that stage in a few Saturdays. As I
was processing these things with the Lord, I felt impressed on my heart to
write about my small journey these past two years. I am not the same girl that
walked onto this campus two years ago. Not because of anything I did, not
because of what my college did, but because of who God is, and what He has
become for me.
A Heart Begins to Change!
This
Georgia girl stepped onto this small campus in Christiansburg, Virginia, honestly, not
expecting much. I was broken and hurt and my heart was not open to the idea of
serving Jesus for the rest of my life. However, I have learned that if you are
in the Word every day, and if you are talking about the things of the Lord, you
cannot help but to be changed! Within my second semester, I felt my heart
changing. I felt it softening and I felt the Lord begin to speak to me in a way
that He never had before. And after my first year, I went on a mission’s trip
to Kenya that changed my life forever. There the Lord placed in my heart a
passion for the broken, and passion for those who do not know Him. I believe
that there are moments in our life that stays with you forever, and Kenya is
one of those moments for me!
A Life of Surrender and Moving Forward…
In
my second year, I was committed to being here, and committed to the Lord. This
year has been nowhere near perfect, I have had my ups and my downs. But through
it all the Lord has carried me through, and has continued to mold me, heal me, and
show me things only He could. I am in no way claiming, that I have it all
figured out, because I do not. Or claiming that and that I am hundred percent
whole, because some days I still break down, but I think that is the healthy
journey and process of grief that I am learning to balance. However, I am
claiming to know from my own life, that God is good, and He can turn the
hardest heart, into a heart for Him. He can take the 19 year old girl, whose
heart was broken into pieces, and put it back together again only the way that
He could. I guess I’m writing all of this, to remember and to look back and see
that God has done so much in my life and even though there are times in my life
that I know I will be sad, and miss my mom, He never leaves me and He is always
there to comfort me. He is always walking with me and in those times, are the
times that I need to cling to Him tighter. Also to encourage you, that no
matter what you are facing, God is with you. He sees you and He has not
forgotten you. No matter where you are
in life, it is never too late to start a new life in Him. Be willing to
surrender to Him, because in those moments of surrender, is when He begins to
change your heart! I am excited for this next season, as next semester, I begin
the degree completion program and work towards my bachelors in Ministry and Leadership, but more importantly I’m excited to see where the Lord takes me on
my continued journey with Him.
Psalm 3:3
“But you, O Lord, are a
shield about me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”
