Written by Megan Sledge
What a wonderful time it is to be at Harding. If you aren’t excited about what all has been going on around campus, then let me share some of the joy with you. It has been such a great first week back together as a Harding family. The energy on this campus is contagious. Hearing friends exchange stories about their summer breaks, witnessing the frantic freshman looking for their class and listening to the chaos in the Student Center after chapel have all been highlight moments of my first week.
As I have learned what it is like to be the Student Association (SA) president this summer, I have been amazed at how much goes on behind the scenes on this campus. Each position requires hours of energy. It has been an encouragement to spend my last Searcy summer (after 16 of them) surrounded by the Christlike examples we have in our faculty and staff at Harding. What a blessing it is to get to know these special people and hear their individual stories. They are truly dedicated to making Harding the biggest blessing it can be. I support them fully and will continue to walk with both the administration and student body as we experience all that is to come this year.
Friends, what an honor it is to serve as your SA president for this school year. There is so much to look forward to as we begin this new chapter of our stories. We each have a blank page awaiting us as we now write a new part of our lives. You hold the power to shape your story into whatever you want it to be. The last chapter of your life might not have been what you hoped for. No matter the circumstance, every story holds special value, whether the story speaks of victory or suffering. The surrendering of our stories in the hope that another life is touched is one of the bravest leaps of faith we can make as individuals, but also as a Harding community. God doesn’t change our lives, heal our illnesses or perform miracles for us to keep it to ourselves. The power of sharing our stories is the driving force behind the mission of the SA this year. We believe in the power of vulnerability with one another to create connections never seen on this campus before. The SA stands behind the belief that entering into storytelling at Harding will allow our community here to find a new level of fellowship that will deeply foster Christ-centered relationships.
Tell your story.
Your heartache is the hope for someone else.
Your experience will guide someone living in that same darkness into freeing light.
The sin you were once so entangled in is holding ever so tightly to someone that needs to hear of your redemption.
Tell your story.
Your time at Harding has molded you in some way that uniquely gives you a testimony to share with others.
The ways in which Jesus has worked in your life can influence someone to accept him as their savior.
The power of the word of God is the saving grace that a lost soul needs to hear. Tell your story.
