May 7, 2010 - Chad Hill

May 7, 2010

I never thought that I’d be where I am today. Leading college students at a campus ministry that I once dared not enter. When I began college, I was your typical freshman. You know, the kind that you see in college movies. I went to parties. I got drunk. I went to class. I ate. I did it all over again. It was the formula through which I would obtain the best years of my life. Boy, was I ever off the beaten path.

I was “saved” when I was in between my junior and senior year in high school. No one ever explained what that meant or pointed me in any given direction as to what following Christ really looked like. So I went about my days doing what I knew. I went to church on Sunday and then I drank and partied the rest of the time. When I began college this lifestyle continued and magnified. However, things would turn around during the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. The college group at my old church was to go to Glorieta, NM for the Glorieta Christian Conference that summer. Those few days that I had there turned my life around. I started to see the importance of community and it was refreshing to see thousands of other college students gathered in one place to pursue furthering their relationships with Christ. When I got back to my hometown I was “on fire.” We started a Sunday class for sixth grade kids. We had a Bible study outside of the church and we all grew really close. Some grew too close.

My best friend at the time started an unhealthy relationship with a girl within the group. They became pretty physical and he didn’t even really like the girl at all. I urged him to break it off before something really bad happened. He didn’t listen and even pursued relations with her sister. Then it all blew up. I took a lot of anger from the entire group of friends because I knew what was going on the whole time and didn’t say anything. I was pretty depressed when an old drinking buddy rolled along and offered to go grab some beer. I turned back to my old habits and took up some new ones with time.

I had maintained my virginity into my sophomore year of college, and then lost it with a girl I barely knew. I was spiraling ever downward. Due to a sequence of events at a party before my junior year, I woke up next to a girl that I had to introduce myself to. I met her parents the next day. After a week engaged in a physical relationship, she asked me if I wanted to date her. When I told her yes, she went off to break up with her boyfriend. I had hit an all-time low.

The following nine months were an unhealthy relationship montage. I thought that I had stumbled into the person that I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. She thought otherwise. I became really depressed and jumped deeper into drinking and partying. I even had more relations with girls. I questioned God a lot. He gave me no immediate answer. However, He did seek me out through a community at the LA Tech Wesley Foundation. Thanks to one of my best friends being there for me and not giving up or judging me, I dove into the community. Soon after I was sharing and spilling everything to my small group. I wanted to be held accountable. I knew that my old lifestyle wasn’t filling the void that I had. I needed to pursue Christ. God threw me into relationships with a rag-tag group of people who were trying to love each other and love Christ. God worked through that group of people to help me get back on my feet so that I could run the race. Now, one year later, I am interning at the LA Tech Wesley Foundation campus ministry. It has been the most challenging year of my life. I have witnessed God’s hand at work in countless ways through many people. Now, as my internship is coming to conclusion, I can’t help but wonder what God has in store for the coming years, whether it be pursuing a degree from seminary or moving on and immersing myself in community. Whatever I do, I know that God is in control and He loves us.

Chad Hill