God is still on campus

     Some of the best lessons learned on campus have nothing to do with school.

     As some of my readers know, when the economy nearly hit rock bottom I lost both my job and approximately 92% of my entire life savings, so I opted to return to college three decades after last stepping foot on campus.

     For those of you that have not been on a college campus recently let me just say, as a 50+ year old widower with a conservative background and Christian beliefs, I was not welcomed with opened arms.

     Ironically, one of my character traits --- though some may call it a flaw --- is that I rarely, if ever, allow the negative opinions of others to persuade me to forego a chosen path. In fact, such response predominantly inspires me to dust off the proverbial gloves and I step into the ring for some symbolic faith-wielding fisticuffs.

     I quickly realized that approximately 99% of both instructors and curriculum are solidly grounded in a liberal - humanistic foundation, which hinted at the truth that my class time would not be boring.

Christian students can still choose their topics.

     Presently, I am about to finish my fourth semester since returning to the world of education. Each semester has begun, proceeded, and finished in a similar fashion. The semester begins with me being treated like an outsider; then proceeds with me working hard, standing my ground, and being true to my beliefs; and finishing with me near, or at the top, of each class.

     I have found that putting forth the effort and remaining true to oneself wins over far more people than outward conflict. And it is a better testimony for God as well.

     How do I know it is a better testimony? Because the Lord has allowed my educational efforts to sway at least eight classmates, that I know of, to forego their atheistic or agnostic beliefs for a belief in God.

     How is this possible in the modern-day classroom environment where God is no longer allowed in the humanistic curriculum? Because students are still allowed to choose their topics in many of the classes. Therefore, when my young classmates select from the abundance of liberal fare, such as pro-abortion and gay marriage, I select faith-based topics like intelligent design versus evolution or the truth about miracles.

     Through the unction of the Holy Spirit the Lord has blessed these choices and the effort I put into them. Even when I felt I was not fulfilling the expectation I imagined for the topic, the Holy Spirit still used my efforts to touch one or more classmates.

     As Christians, all we have to do is seek God's will for our lives and put forth an honest effort: the rest is up to Him.