confession

i should have seen it coming a little more than i did, but now it's hit me like a ton of bricks.

i'm lonely.

i didn't know anyone coming here. i'm like the kid in high school who went off to college in oregon or somewhere with no one else to see around campus. is this crazy, like that kid was crazy? i know God has great things for me here, because He pretty much ordained this opportunity all the way. and i love Crossroads and my boss & coworkers, and i KNOW i'll love all the students when i finally meet them & get to know them better--but i miss my friends.

it's not fun (or easy) to start over. i struggled with this at the start of college, but my small group girls and choir buds pulled me through until i adapted a bit more. and i thought i learned a lot from that transition--and i did, but that doesn't change the straight-up hurt of being alone.

last year at IV we talked a lot about people on campus being plagued with loneliness, and it became our mission statement to address that epidemic among our classmates with intentionality. i could resonate with that feeling of despairing loneliness, but i forgot what it really felt like in your chest and in your gut--sad, bored, craving relationship, missing friends. i now can really see the importance of people reaching out to the lonely, on college campuses, but hopefully i will meet people here who'll be ready to reach out as well!

any suggestions for meeting people in a new place, friends who've already (or are currently) weathered this storm, this post-partum college lull? i hope to plug into a young adult small group at church, but without letting that involvement take time away from my ministry work & small group leading. i know all these things will take time, but it's hard to be patient when i don't have much to do!

your continued prayers would be greatly appreciated. i love you all & miss you so!