ACU might not be known for their outstanding football team, beautiful campus (brown buildings in West Texas???), or cheap tuition, but the connections it creates through followers of Christ is undeniable. My ACU experience gave me much more than an education, but gave me a stronger faith, lifelong friendships, and a wonderful husband to share my everyday with. This week I have been reminded of the ACU connection. No, I didn't run into some random person from ACU while dropping off my dry cleaning or see someone flash the wildcat symbol while driving down 635. Rather a tragedy happened in the widespread ACU community and within hours the word was spread to be praying for this particular ACU alumni family. I received a phone call yesterday about this situation and several emails today and I only knew those affected by name. How amazing is that? Why doesn't ACU publish that in it's promotional fliers: "Attend ACU and you will immediately become a part of a nationwide prayer chain."
This week's tragedy isn't the first devastation to send out an SOS for prayers. There have been countless stories of ACU friends whose hearts have been broken by grief in some way. Emails fill up alumni mailboxes, knowing that prayers will immediately be lifted up. Tobe and I frequently discuss how during college we took the "ACU experience" for granted, not knowing one day Wednesday night club, midnight breakfasts, and Jack and Jill Donuts would mean so much to us. We are so grateful for this experience and incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be surrounded by God's faithful children. Our hearts break for this newest prayer request and need for comfort, but we know that God is listening to the thousands as they petition for this family. What a blessing.
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3 comments:
I have been thinking the same thing all day. What a blessing the experinence was and it is so sad that it takes such a horrific tragedy to remind me of that.
I am also thankful for the blogworld which puts ACUers back in contact like us!
Lynley,
What a great way to pay tribute to a family who needs our prayers. How rare it is to have hundreds, even thousands of alumni praying and caring for each other. I'm thankful for the opportunity I got to know you there and love that my family gets to continue to be around yours and see our kids and each other "grow up"
I couldn't have said it better Lynley. Thanks for putting into words what a lot of us have been feeling. It gave me (and I hope Russell) comfort to see all the 80+comments that are on Russell's blog page today. I know it may seem impersonal to "sign the guestbook" that way, but I remember feeling the same thing at the passing of Dr. Trevathan, and seeing others' comments really helped me process grief while far away from those friends going through the same experience.
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