Currently, I sit in the unit of my dorm— a place where I have shared giddy laughter, unstoppable tears, enriching Bible studies, silly songs and moments of deep contemplation. In all honesty, I don’t want to be writing this; I put it off as long as possible to avoid the inevitable reality of my time at the Collegian coming to an end. I teared up just by typing the title that’s been attached to my name for the past two years. So, I figured we could all process this together.
I am definitely not the same person I was as a freshman; I am not even the same as I was at the beginning of this semester. God has taken so much time throughout my journey at Asbury to continually encourage, challenge, mold and grow me. If I could write out everything He’s done even within the past few months, an entire library wouldn’t be big enough to hold it all. But here are some important lessons I feel the need to name and pass on.
First, prioritize your relationship with Jesus. It seems kind of obvious, but sometimes in the busyness of life, it’s harder to actually implement the spiritual disciplines we need to stay connected to the vine (John 15). We’re conditioned to run from class to meeting to practice, to insert fill in the blank here. Being busy at Asbury is always the go-to excuse. However, nothing is as important as your relationship with Jesus. He is the One who is going to help you navigate the busyness, complicated friendships and your future career and calling. Start taking a Sabbath if you don’t already— find time for God to pour into you and for you to rest and spend time with Him. You’ll be amazed at how God can transform your life for the better when you develop sacred rhythms with Him.
Second, remember that the people you decide to put into your life matter. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn is quite well known for declaring that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. At Asbury, I saw this put into a similar yet unique light. We all have an inner circle. These people know our life stories, speak into our lives while we do the same for them.
I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to trust these individuals. I want to love them and know they’re going to be there for me as I would be for them. As a freshman, I felt pressure to make these connections instantly. But they take time. I didn’t meet a lot of my closest friends until my junior year, and even then, in some friendships, immediate connection didn’t occur. The bonds took intentionality, vulnerability, trust— and even some healthy conflict.
This causes friendships to also change, because we change. That isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it should make us excited that as we’re growing into who God calls us to be, He’s putting the people we need right by our side.
In connection to this comes another important lesson from the wise Dr. Brian Hull: Be honest and have fun. Throughout college, and especially on a Christian campus, there is so much pressure to find “the one” or to simply start dating from the moment you get here until you leave. We overthink. We freak ourselves out and waste time pondering “what-ifs” instead of enjoying the present moments we’re never going to get back. So, go out with groups of friends and have fun. Go meet people! Be bold and honest about how you feel. If they feel the same, great. If not, at least now you know the truth and can move on. I don’t say this to undermine the fears we experience about losing people. Especially if we’ve built a solid friendship with them, it’s scary and it’s hard. However, from my experience, real friendships (even if they hurt for a while) will continue in the way they’re meant to— even if it’s not what we necessarily want or think we need.
Finally, record everything. I don’t mean become a vlogger or start a Youtube channel, but take pictures. Take them when you’re hanging out with your friends, when you’re feeling joyful or going on a walk across campus. Recently and randomly I decided to look through photos and silly videos I’ve collected over the past four years. My heart swelled and I teared up, but I don’t regret capturing any of those memories because now I have them forever. Also, if you have an iPhone, turn on the ‘live’ feature— it makes the photos ten times better.
And, if you’re not one for being on your phone, keep a journal. This year, I committed to two different ones: a gratitude journal and a prayer journal. Now I have a physical record of God moving throughout my senior year of college. He answered prayers. He allowed me to experience so much joy and offered so much comfort and healing when I needed it (in His timing, might I add). I’ve collected random thoughts and small interactions that made me laugh to hold onto and look back on when I need to remember His goodness and faithfulness to me. Plus, when you’re able to praise Him for the mundane moments, you’re able to see His mighty moves in your life more clearly.
All in all, my advice is simple: trust Jesus. I don’t know what you’ve been through or where you will go during your time at Asbury and beyond. But Jesus does. Trust Him and He’ll form you into the best version of yourself— someone you never dreamed you could be. Someone He will surround with people who can encourage and challenge you in the most amazing ways. Trust Him, and you’re going to be just fine.
Thank you for allowing me to be a voice for you on campus these past few years. It’s been one of the biggest blessings in my life so far and I will treasure this time forever. I hope I represented you well.
With much love,
Alexandra (Lexie) Presta
A few final thoughts
Currently, I sit in the unit of my dorm— a place where I have shared giddy laughter, unstoppable tears, enriching Bible studies, silly songs and moments of deep contemplation. In all honesty, I don’t want to be writing this; I put it off as long as possible to avoid the inevitable reality of my time at the Collegian coming to an end. I teared up just by typing the title that’s been attached to my name for the past two years. So, I figured we could all process this together.
I am definitely not the same person I was as a freshman; I am not even the same as I was at the beginning of this semester. God has taken so much time throughout my journey at Asbury to continually encourage, challenge, mold and grow me. If I could write out everything He’s done even within the past few months, an entire library wouldn’t be big enough to hold it all. But here are some important lessons I feel the need to name and pass on.
First, prioritize your relationship with Jesus. It seems kind of obvious, but sometimes in the busyness of life, it’s harder to actually implement the spiritual disciplines we need to stay connected to the vine (John 15). We’re conditioned to run from class to meeting to practice, to insert fill in the blank here. Being busy at Asbury is always the go-to excuse. However, nothing is as important as your relationship with Jesus. He is the One who is going to help you navigate the busyness, complicated friendships and your future career and calling. Start taking a Sabbath if you don’t already— find time for God to pour into you and for you to rest and spend time with Him. You’ll be amazed at how God can transform your life for the better when you develop sacred rhythms with Him.
Second, remember that the people you decide to put into your life matter. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn is quite well known for declaring that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. At Asbury, I saw this put into a similar yet unique light. We all have an inner circle. These people know our life stories, speak into our lives while we do the same for them.
I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to trust these individuals. I want to love them and know they’re going to be there for me as I would be for them. As a freshman, I felt pressure to make these connections instantly. But they take time. I didn’t meet a lot of my closest friends until my junior year, and even then, in some friendships, immediate connection didn’t occur. The bonds took intentionality, vulnerability, trust— and even some healthy conflict.
This causes friendships to also change, because we change. That isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it should make us excited that as we’re growing into who God calls us to be, He’s putting the people we need right by our side.
In connection to this comes another important lesson from the wise Dr. Brian Hull: Be honest and have fun. Throughout college, and especially on a Christian campus, there is so much pressure to find “the one” or to simply start dating from the moment you get here until you leave. We overthink. We freak ourselves out and waste time pondering “what-ifs” instead of enjoying the present moments we’re never going to get back. So, go out with groups of friends and have fun. Go meet people! Be bold and honest about how you feel. If they feel the same, great. If not, at least now you know the truth and can move on. I don’t say this to undermine the fears we experience about losing people. Especially if we’ve built a solid friendship with them, it’s scary and it’s hard. However, from my experience, real friendships (even if they hurt for a while) will continue in the way they’re meant to— even if it’s not what we necessarily want or think we need.
Finally, record everything. I don’t mean become a vlogger or start a Youtube channel, but take pictures. Take them when you’re hanging out with your friends, when you’re feeling joyful or going on a walk across campus. Recently and randomly I decided to look through photos and silly videos I’ve collected over the past four years. My heart swelled and I teared up, but I don’t regret capturing any of those memories because now I have them forever. Also, if you have an iPhone, turn on the ‘live’ feature— it makes the photos ten times better.
And, if you’re not one for being on your phone, keep a journal. This year, I committed to two different ones: a gratitude journal and a prayer journal. Now I have a physical record of God moving throughout my senior year of college. He answered prayers. He allowed me to experience so much joy and offered so much comfort and healing when I needed it (in His timing, might I add). I’ve collected random thoughts and small interactions that made me laugh to hold onto and look back on when I need to remember His goodness and faithfulness to me. Plus, when you’re able to praise Him for the mundane moments, you’re able to see His mighty moves in your life more clearly.
The Leon Tour: A review from the Ryman
All in all, my advice is simple: trust Jesus. I don’t know what you’ve been through or where you will go during your time at Asbury and beyond. But Jesus does. Trust Him and He’ll form you into the best version of yourself— someone you never dreamed you could be. Someone He will surround with people who can encourage and challenge you in the most amazing ways. Trust Him, and you’re going to be just fine.
Thank you for allowing me to be a voice for you on campus these past few years. It’s been one of the biggest blessings in my life so far and I will treasure this time forever. I hope I represented you well.
With much love,
Alexandra (Lexie) Presta