Sorority Bible Study?

I knew I would meet resistance in trying to start a Bible study in my sorority, but I didn’t think I would meet it so early on. And especially not from my fellow Christian community.

Since Marquette U. recruitment was in the winter instead of the fall, I had already planted some roots at school. But my roots didn’t seem so interested in my idea of joining a sorority in hopes of building relationships and eventually starting a Bible study.

“They drink a lot,” they warned.
“You have to spend a lot of money on clothes,” someone brought up.
“What about your (Christian) reputation?” they questioned.

These comments fueled me as I went into recruitment. I confidently walked into my first day as if I were being live streamed by those who doubted the mission I knew God had sent me on. If you don’t think I can do this, then watch me.

However, if I knew how everything would play out those first two and half years, I might not have so confidently told everyone to watch.

They watched me as I got dropped by every sorority I thought God was calling me to until there was only one option left for me to join. They watched me as I felt unexpectedly lonely as I struggled to form relationships and was labeled as “the one who didn’t drink.” They watched me as I finally reached my goal of starting a study only for the president to shut it down after the first night because “people felt uncomfortable with religion being a part of our chapter.” They watched me as I tried to skirt around the rules and start an “All Greek” study but have no one show up.

Not to mention, the times I had shared the gospel with girls who seemed receptive, were also accompanied by what felt like major personal rejections. One girl up and joined a different sorority, and another chose a different girl to be her big (for those of you who don’t speak sorority, a big is similar to a mentor).

Even though I tried to stay positive, I felt like everyone I had told to watch me, had watched me totally and completely fail.  I went off to Europe for the fall semester of my junior year; secretly thankful I was on a break from my sorority efforts for the next four months.

During that time, God reset my self-centered heart to remind me that He was the one that was in control, not me.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21

All I needed to do was be faithful in where I felt God had called me and the rest was up to Him. I went back to school second semester of junior year with a new attitude - don’t watch me, watch God.

A few weeks after being back at school, God orchestrated as I walked by the room of a girl in the sorority house who stopped me to ask me why I didn’t drink. That question turned into a gospel conversation, which turned into a gospel-based friendship.

A little less than a year later, her and I were talking in the bathroom one day when she said, “Hey remember when you tried to start a Bible study in our sorority a few years ago and the president shut you down?”

Yes, how could I forget that?

“Well,” she said, “I am the president of our sorority now...”

She looked at me waiting for me to connect the dots.

When I still didn’t piece it together she said, “Since I am the president, there won’t be anyone to stop you anymore. I think you should start a sorority Bible study.”

Even though I had joined over three years ago with that exact intention, the amount of surprise and excitement I felt in that moment would lead you to believe she just came up an idea I had never even fathomed.

In my Senior year of college, I watched God as He brought over 35 girls into the purple and gold living room of the sorority house to read Philippians. I watched God move as girls excitedly received their first-ever Bibles. I watched as God packed cars with girls each Sunday going to Church. I watched God’s plan unfold in what I had previously seen as rejections when I shared the gospel - The girl who didn’t choose me as her big, became one of my best friends and the leader of the study when I graduated. The girl who chose a different chapter started her own Bible study in her sorority. I watched as God planted the desire to infiltrate Greek life in the hearts of those in my Christian community – sending out girls to start their own movements that resulted in over half the sororities on campus now having Bible studies.

I continue to watch God work, even two years out from my sorority and 1000 miles away, as girls currently leading send me texts like, “I shared my testimony tonight!” or “Lindsay, you’ll never believe what God did in study this week.”

Looking back, if I could have written a letter to 18 year-old, confident, “watch me” Lindsay to give her a heads-up about the next four years, I would probably only write one sentence:

“Sometimes you are going to fail miserably, and that’s the best thing that could ever happen.”

Only through failing in my own attempts was I able to take my eyes off my work to fully see God’s work; only through losing hope in my ability to succeed was I filled with complete hope in God’s ability to succeed; and only through giving up my plans was I finally able to see God’s purpose prevail.

Follow the daring, darling Lindsay on her blog!