What Has CCF Been To Me? (Reflections on University: Statistics Grad)
It wasn’t too long ago when I walked into my first CCF intro night. I remember looking around and being intimidated by the size of the fellowship. However, I didn’t realize I had walked into a place that I would call home for the next five years.
Reflections
Through the years, God has taught me many things through CCF. However, I think my most important learnings are all encapsulated within my experiences from this past winter term. Before this term, I had mostly stayed at home. Because of this, I had been isolated from not just CCF, but from a church community in general. In addition, fall term was a particularly rough time in my personal life, as I just continually took L’s week after week. Coming into this term, I was just broken and I had no idea of what to expect from going back to CCF.
One of my favourite memories from this term was from my first SG night, when we prayed for each other individually. I remember feeling loved as I shared my prayer requests. And this just started a snowball as God just continually showed me how good and loving He is through the people of CCF, which ultimately transformed the sorrow and the doubts that I had coming into this term into joy and peace in God.
Ultimately, I think the biggest reflection from my time of being in CCF during undergrad has been how good and loving God is. Through the people and the various ministries of CCF, I have been poured into in so many ways and I have also had the opportunity to pour into others as well. I hope that this can just serve as an encouragement as to how good and how loving God is, even when things may be looking bleak.
Another reflection I had looking back at this past term was the importance of community, in both fellowship and church. During COVID, I had mostly stayed at home and I had been isolated, which led to a stagnation of my faith. However, being back in CCF this term, I saw how God works through people, as I was being poured into and given the opportunity to pour into others.
If there’s one thing I could change about my CCF experience it would be this: I wished that I had tried to make an effort to get involved in church earlier. As great as CCF is, it is not a church, as it’s important for our spiritual growth to walk with other Christians who are spiritually mature. In my younger years, I remember just showing up to church and listening to the sermon, and then hanging out with CCF people and then leaving. I wished that I would’ve made more of an effort to get involved at a church so that I would be able to learn and grow from other members who knew more than I did. For those of you who will be here next term and beyond, I would highly encourage you to get plugged into a church and to really try to be a part of the community there.
Also here’s a word of encouragement to all my fellow fossils and soon-to-be fossils. Although it’s understandable to be anxious about what our futures might look like after we graduate and we leave CCF, I encourage all of you to trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God. Coming into the term, I had felt like life was falling apart and I had no idea what I was going to do (and I honestly still have no idea what I’m going to do after I graduate), but as the term has gone on, God has continued to give me peace and He has answered all of my doubts and questions in His perfect timing.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23:6
Conclusion
Overall, I’m very thankful for the time I’ve been able to have in CCF over the last 5 years. Through all the highs and the lows, God has shown me that He is good and just how much He loves His people. I hope that this post could just serve as an encouragement as to how loving God really is, and I hope that you all will continue to seek Him wherever you are in your university journey.
