Reflections on Adventures in Narnia

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an absolutely wonderful holiday (it's my favorite one!) and is enjoying whatever is left of Christmas break. I definitely am.

Christmas was lovely, and my parents surprised us with a trip to Hawaii from the 11th to the 18 of January. The prospect of sunny beaches between me and Spring semester is oh-so-wonderful. We should do this every year! Until then, I will content myself with the happy memories from the past weekend.

A week after Christmas, I packed up and headed to Denver, CO, where I met up with the WVA staff for 4 days. Needless to say, it was epic. There were snowballs, caffeine runs (Starbucks or the Pepsi machine, take your pick!), games, conversations, fireworks, frisbee games-in the snow-, and even a saran-wrapped staffer. And of course, a whole lotta' silliness. Meet the best college staff in America!

While there is little in this world able to beat a game of Killer Uno, or even a round of German Duck-Duck Goose, what I loved most about the weekend was the encouragement that came in the form of spontaneous hallway conversations and small group prayer. As a few of us would sit and dialog about our experiences since the summer and what we had- or hadn't- learned and applied, I felt the struggle to remain intentional with our lives at home was reiterated over and over again. Frankly, intentionality is a whole lot easier when someone else provides you with a schedule detailing every half hour from 7:30 am to 11:30 pm. The language Paul uses constantly throughout his letters, however, involves fighting and struggles and war. I.E., nothing involving 'easy.' Not to say that life has to always be difficult and challenging, merely that our purpose here is to run hard after Christ and stay our positions (2 Tim. 2:1-6). Therefore, my main 'war'- if I can call it that- is here, at home. And so it was often mulled over how we are to live at home in light of our experiences in Narnia- as I have affectionately taken to calling it as the Cook family does.

On Christmas day, our family went to see the Dawn Treader and a quote at the end stuck out to me. Aslan had just finished telling Lucy and Edmund they could no longer return to Narnia, naturally, they were a little distraught. I would be too.

" ' Are-are you there to, Sir?' said Edmund.

'I am," said Aslan. 'But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that be knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.' "

I love this because it sums up everything I wanted to say so much neater than I could've, because

I struggled with my specific purpose at camp. I knew, of course, that I was supposed to be there, after

all, that's where I was. But after that, I really had next to no idea. So after spending the past 6 months

trying to figure it out, I think I have it. I saw God work in ways I never had before while I was at camp,

provide in ways I don't know I'd ever asked for Him to provide in. He stirred up in me a greater recognition

of His mighty power and faithful love, so that I would have a taste of it and seek more. Now I cannot claim

God's specific purposes in doing anything- other than He does that which brings glory to Himself.

For the New Year, then, I want to act on my knowledge of God. Not just on Sundays, Bible Study nights,

in the mornings, during Worldview stuff, or when I feel particularly spiritual. I want my love for God to be so great

(and love comes through knowing Him), that I act upon that love first thing when I wake up, throughout

breakfast and classes, lunch, late afternoon coffee and homework. Play time, sleep time, practice time, study

time, all the time. That, dear friends, is my one resolution for the new year. Many little ones I am sure

will come underneath its umbrella, but I can aim no higher than the glory of God.