Seventeen82

  Twenty-five years ago, my friend Brian asked me the pointed question, “What is faith?” I did not have an adequate answer even though I thought I did. I had been raised in a Christian home where we discussed faith often. We talked about our faith in God, our faith in one another, and our faith in the Bible. I had also participated in organized sports from the time I was old enough to join a team. Coaches had instilled in me the importance of faith in my teammates, faith in the game plan, faith in my coaches, and faith in my preparation. I knew a lot about faith as a result of these experiences, but I didn’t know what it was. Looking back on Brian’s question, I think that’s the reason he asked it.    Brian was a staff member with the Christian organization Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru). He was specifically assigned to Cru’s ministry on NC State’s campus. His job was to ask hard questions of student leaders to help us grow in our understanding of the Christian Faith. He ...

    You ever put a lot of time and effort building something only to see it fall flat on its face when put into action? Ever prayed, and prayed, and prayed for a deep desire to come true, only to have the moment pass without any movement, at least in the way you were hoping? Put a lot of work into a relationship only to get nothing back? I know you have, because we all have. Taking the lead on things can give you a rush, but the buck is going to stop with you. So how you handle the pressure that comes with it can be tricky, and there are some things we do at the start that change how we go about those labors, many times for the worse. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. So what do you do when what you've poured a ton of time and energy into a thing that doesn’t work out? After the day has come and gone for the project, or the person, and you are left holding the bag? How are we to process failure at this point? Where can we go to find release from the responsibility (whi...