I truly believe the hardest part of sorority recruitment and freshman year in general is the fact that you just do not know. The unknown is terrifying! I’ve touched on it, but the unknown is what I used to be so, so fearful of. As I start my senior year of college, the unknown now brings me so much excitement. I would have laughed in your face had you told me I would be this way three years ago.
Yes, fear still creeps in when I think of the unknown, but I can’t help but to think of how richly the Lord has blessed my life in the same season I was so afraid to embark on! We all come into recruitment and college with so many expectations and it’s difficult as we wait in anticipation for them to unfold and harder when things don’t go our way. However, I’ve come to find that the reality that I have experienced ended up being so much greater than the expectations I had. Let’s unpack some expectations you may have and the realities behind them…
- “He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more,” says John 15:2. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. This is a blessing! He knows the desires of our hearts, but He also knows what will truly fill and enrich our lives. When the sorority you sought after isn’t on your schedule, when it doesn’t feel like college is your home quite yet, when new friendships are difficult– You are still in His hand and in His provision. He is going to pour so greatly into areas of your life that will push you towards growth and His plan and purpose for you. Rest in the fact that when we experience loss, we also experience victory!
- Scarlet said it best, “Be true to yourself and you will end up exactly where you are meant to be!” It’s easy to come into recruitment and assume you have to fit a certain mold depending on the sorority. In reality, that could not be farther from the truth. The beautiful thing about sororities is that they encompass a variety of different women! These sororities represent a multitude of different opinions, personalities, backgrounds, and so much more. There is a little bit of everyone in every sorority. What’s common about the girls in these houses is the desire for community with one another. Come into recruitment week your true self because that is exactly what they are looking for! Stick to your values and morals and you will find the right community for you. Psalms 139:14 states, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” You are fearfully and wonderfully made! Let’s step into knowing that fully well.
Before pref round in Auburn last week, my friends and I talked about how badly we wanted these girls to just have a true glimpse of the friendships and love that our sorority has given us. As recruitment wrapped up on Saturday, I watched 88 new girls run home to my sorority and was filled with so much excitement because I knew all that they were about to experience! Then on Monday, as I watched them at their New Member Meeting, I also remembered just how hard the first few weeks of freshman year could be. If you are in those shoes too, trust me when I say you will be okay. Freshman year is packed with the highest of highs, but sometimes the lowest of lows. You are still right where you are supposed to be. Be where your feet are. Community is coming. Comfort is coming. Joy and laughter are coming. In the blink of an eye, this strange new place will feel like home and you will wonder how these girls haven’t known you your entire life. Be still and trust in His timing and His plan for these next few years.