Last night was my last RUF at Ole Miss. I cried and cried and cried. Les Newsom's wisdom, the worship, the fellowship- every aspect of RUF has been such a blessing to me over the past 4 years. I had a really tough junior and senior year of high school. Don't get me wrong- I had lots of happiness and lots of fun. But in the middle of those two years, in a 4 month and 29 day period, my first love and best friend, Clay, passed away and my sweet mother passed away. College has been a time of healing for me, and I realized last night that RUF has been a place of healing for me. It is the place God has brought me over and over and over to convince me of His love for me despite myself. For this, I am forever grateful and forever indebted to RUF. I can't imagine what it will feel like not to have that fellowship and worship. I will still have Les. Every Thursday, Brian and I will sit around a laptop and listen to his podcasts. But it will be a long time before I stop tearing up over not being at Paris-Yates Chapel on Wednesday nights.
Les talked on Romans 12:1-2 last night. What a perfect way to end. He spoke of the total sacrifice of self that the love of Christ demands. How can I be in a relationship with someone who has sacrificed all for me without also sacrificing all of me for Him? And we are able to sacrifice ourselves because of the mercies of God, this is by the countless acts of grace he has bestowed and is bestowing and will bestow, we can sacrifice ourselves fully to Him. And only in this will we find true joy.
While speaking of RUF, I must pay special tribute to this guy.
The one and only Will Nettleton. The humor, the depth, the love for and grasp of the Gospel. He is going to make the most incredible RUF intern and minister. And he's just so funny. I can't put his funny into words. But he did. Last night in his farewell address. These last words will soon be posted here, so check back, and check back often. It will be well worth it.
We also said farewell to the precious Babbit. I am thrilled for her and her life to come, so very sad we won't be having Bottletree anymore next year, and selfishly relieved we're making our exit from Oxford at the same time.
This is really depressing, but here is my last RUF handout ever. Our last song was "On Jordan's Stormy Banks," which was such a perfect way to end. What a beautiful picture of what's to come- a community gathered together singing beautiful music that is echoed around in the acoustics of a small chapel- and the words reflect the longing and the certainty of hope we have of heaven.
Beautiful. Heartbreaking, but beautiful.
This morning, I'm sitting at Uptown. By Uptown, I mean High Point Coffee, but I will always refer to it as Uptown. Here is a snapshot of my morning...
A little coffee, a little bagel, a little quiet time, a little wedding to-do with, of course...
The Wedding Bag. So I must be off... off to secure my bagpiper and write thank-you notes. Rachel
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