A dark room, a loud band and a lot of people: my view of RealLife. At least, that’s how it used to be. The 1.5 hour meeting usually only lasted a half an hour to me – of course I always had better things to do. Duh. So there was obviously no need to get to know other people … right? I didn’t need friends, I already had some. All RealLife was to me was a notch on my extra-curricular belt to help it shine post graduation…those religious groups will always look good on resumes.

For five months, I went to RealLife and sat with my roommate or my boyfriend. It meant nothing to me since I was spiritually disinterested, honestly I don’t even know why I went. It was March, and my roommate wanted to go on the Spring Break trip to Florida. I only went because she wanted to go, and of course the perk of that Florida sun in the midst of the bipolar Ohio weather. That week was spent on the beach, getting to know people and getting to know God – a large contrast to how I thought I was going to spend it, but a much, much better outcome.

Little did I know the spring break trip with RealLife/Campus Crusade that year would spring-board my relationship with God and help me finally understand what it meant to have a relationship with Him. I also how to have healthy and deep relationships with people. I went literally knowing one person; I came back knowing everyone who went. I went viewing God as this far away creature – I came back knowing Him as my loving Father. I now went to RealLife as an insider – finally, I was someone people knew. I’d walk in the doors and people greeted me by name. I’d stay afterwards because I actually had people to talk to. But most importantly, I started listening to the songs, the talks and anything else that God was trying to teach me. I saw how rich the community was that God offered me through Campus Crusade for Christ and realized these friendships went much deeper than the ones I had outside of Christ.

Some say that college is the best time of your life, and I don’t think that statement is accurate. I think any season can be the best time of life if we only engage and truly participate in  the opportunities that are given to us. So how can you make college the best time of life? Get involved. Do something. Make friends. Make memories. Don’t be ordinary. Don’t sit at home this spring break wondering what you could be doing. Instead come to Big Break @ Panama City Beach with us and God will come meet you. That is something I can promise.

Check out Big Break here: http://big-break.com/

Katie Emmons

Katie is on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ at The Ohio State University.  Katie leads a small group on south campus, leads the hospitality team at RealLife in Independence Hall 0100 on Thursdays, and enjoys adding her creative skills to RealLife events.  Any questions Katie can answer?  Email her at: emmons.katie@gmail.com