What I Missed

This weekend I journeyed to the homeland of my college years and the current one of my parents-- Alabama. As part of the weekends’ festivities, Kevin came along to meet everyone. Today we took a tour of the place from where I received my undergraduate degree: Samford University. It was such a big part of my life, so I just had to show it to him.

It was a great place to spend four years. I learned a lot about elementary education. I encountered kindred spirits for the first time through interactions with classmates in my dorm and through involvement with Student Ministries activities. I joined the first church of which my dad was not the pastor. And, I ate a lot of disgusting Caf food as every college student endures.

But as I was giving him the walking tour today, I realized I missed out on a lot during my tenure there. At the top of my list was fun.

While going on spring break mission trips and Tuesday night worship services and even the occasional Friday night church college group Bible studies wasn't torture (I did enjoy all of this evangelical activity), I believe there was so much more I could have experienced during that time of my life. College is about the exploratory journey, but I’m often embarrassed to admit I was just one path, the one I’ve been on my whole life-- the path of ministry.

If I were to do it over again (I decided today as I looked into the eyes of the young freshman strolling on campus with their parents on campus for Parent‘s Weekend) . . .

I would have gone to more parties and less Wednesday night church because I have the rest of my life ahead of me to go to church. I wish I would have known then that going to church more than everyone else doesn't make you a better person . . .

I would have hung out more with those girls in my dorm that were labeled by everyone as “punks” without trying to save them with a "come to Jesus talk" because I think I would learned a lot from their diverse and what I viewed as irreverent perspectives. Sometimes Jesus is found on stuffy Baptist campuses in the voices of the students who didn't want to go there in the first place . . .

I would have gone on more road trips that were planned at three in the morning instead of sleeping and eating at the exact same time every day because structure is for people who have real jobs (which I will have soon). College is more than getting good grades and going to class every day, I wish I would heard . . .

I wouldn't been afraid of being an individual even if others viewed me as a bad person.

But, just as the old saying goes, you are a part of everyone you meet. And this is certainly the case about my choice of college. Samford and my overly structured and religious centered experiences there have made me the person I am today. I am grateful for this. But, living on the other side of adulthood now, I certainly feel wise enough to say to any college students out there: Go have some fun!