by Chris Katsura
It is amazing graduation has come upon us. It feels like a moment ago we were entering orientation. The past four years have been enjoyable and God has brought many wonderful people into my life. Entering college I was uncertain where I would be, what I would be doing, who I would be associating with, and even what church I would be attending. Sovereignly, He brought me out to Crossroads Campus Ministry where I met some people attending Lighthouse. I came one Sunday and was bombarded by the sermon. But the challenge kept making me come back. I attended Omega Flock, which was very small flock. But the size allowed me to meet singles, married, and the other collegians on a very personal level. It was one of the ministries I am most thankful for at Lighthouse. Getting to talk to older people and seeing what they went through taught me much wisdom. Being able to see how we should be living and acting as we get older was a great blessing. At the same time another thing I appreciated about Lighthouse is their devotion to preaching the bible.
The first memorable event of college was while I was out surfing at La Jolla shores. The sun was setting and everyone paddled out past the surf, sitting on their boards, watching the sunset. The sky turned from fire red, to orange, to a mixture of colors. At that moment, a pack of dolphins, 25-feet away, surfaced and swam nearby. That was one of my most peaceful moments of San Diego. Another memorable experience in San Diego was going out to Hillcrest and talking to the homeless people about the gospel. It was very real, talking to people who have gone through so much, and willing to listen and talk. I am sure there will be many more experiences to come as I will be staying in San Diego for the time being.
My favorite verse is Isaiah 53. It makes your really think about what Christ did on the cross. How we rejected and despised him. How God pierced Him for our iniquities, and the sins that He bore upon the cross. My favorite place in San Diego is Mt. Soledad. You can stand up there and look out upon such the beautiful city and ocean. It’s very relaxing. Taking a book up there to read makes the world stand still. I think a song that would define this era for me would be “If You Want Me To” by Ginny Owens—a song about the trust we should have in God and the great plan He has for our lives. Though at times we may be unsure of where we are going, God knows and we must trust him.
I would like to end with a word of encouragement for those in college. Take the time now to develop those important habits—habits that will strengthen your walk with God; habits of prayer; and meditation upon, reading, and proclaiming the word, to name a few. The habits you have now will be reinforced over the years. They will be much harder to change as you get older. If you say you don’t have time now and don’t cultivate good habits, it will be the same when you get older. You will say it is too late to develop these, that you have been stuck in your wandering ways for too long. Men, you need to be characterized by being men of prayer, of the word, and of faith. Looking towards the job that awaits you in the future, remember it is not the end. It should only be a stepping stone for the ministry of God. This is why you should count the cost wisely of what you sacrifice now to do certain things. Do you study so much that you sacrifice fellowship and ministry within the church? Your outlook and investment should be on eternal things and not material ones. And trust in the Lord for He has a great plan for you; far greater than anything you can imagine.