Hi! My name is Makayla, and I am currently an upcoming junior here at UA. I grew up in North Alabama, so going to school in Tuscaloosa was just the right distance for someone like me who was afraid to be away from home but also knew that it would be good to gain some independence.
Before coming to college, something that I had a desire to prioritize was finding Christian community. This was not something that I really had in high school, so I wanted to be intentional about it in college. By God’s grace, I began to receive emails about the BCM and the various ways they provide for students to be able to get plugged in. I am a very shy and introverted person, so staying involved in community is kind of hard for me. But the Lord in His Sovereignty has worked through this ministry to draw me closer to Him, provide me with godly community, and redirect my focus to the things of eternal significance.
Through the campus ministers and the fellow students at the BCM the Lord has reminded me that while on paper we are here to go to school and earn a degree, God has uniquely orchestrated for us to be here for a purpose far greater than that — to spread the good news of His kingdom.
I think it goes without saying that college at times can be hard and even stressful. Amid those hard times, it can be tempting to want to, and maybe even sometimes unintentionally, self-isolate ourselves from community and neglect spending time with the Lord in His word and in prayer. But it’s during those times that we should be even more diligent to press on in those things.
Ultimately, our time here is not about ourselves, but about God and His kingdom and His glory. This semester, the Lord showed me areas in my life where I was seeking things for my own glory, namely my grades, and He graciously humbled me to see my sin in doing that. College is important and grades do matter. We are told in scripture to “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23), but we do this not for our glory but for His. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 11:15).
Makayla Townsend | Junior | Madison, AL | @makaylaannn
Comments