My Blog Post - Katie Murphy

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Hi everyone! My name is Katie Murphy and I get to write the blog post this week! :) I'm a student leader at Crossroads - Connections Coordinator. That means I get to make connections with the people that come, keep everyone up to date with events, make sure everyone feels welcome, and make sure the presence of God is felt not only within our community, but by everyone I can possibly reach. Of course a lot of those things are the jobs of all the student leaders at Crossroads, and each and every one of them do an amazing job. This week, I was really reminded of why we do what we do at Crossroads and I'd like to share that with all of you.

Crossroads, and church in general, is a place for everyone. It's a place for the lost. It's a place for the broken. It's a place for the sad. It's a place for the joyful. It's a place for those who feel loved, and those who don't. It's a place for people firm in their faith, and for those who are just curious about God.

I love how Crossroads offers communion to everyone, even if they are not Lutheran. Even if they don’t know what they believe. They can receive the body and blood of Christ, our savior. That's exactly who Jesus gave his life for; He didn't choose only the faithful. He chose each and every one of us. We are all sinners, but we are all also forgiven. We are loved. We are given grace and hope from a God who truly cares.

At times it seems hard to believe. This world is crazy. It's hard. Obstacles and adversities are thrown at us every day. These lives we live are confusing and difficult, especially for a college student. But at the end of the day, with God, every day is beautiful. Every day in itself is a miracle. I thank God every day for the sun rising. I thank God every day for another chance. That's what each new day brings. A chance. A chance to live. A chance to learn. A chance to forgive. A chance to believe. And at the end of the day, if I don't feel like I did anything right, God is there to comfort me. He's there to forgive me, and he's there to remind me, that anything I do won't give me grace, because He's already done that for me. He loves me, and tomorrow I can do better, but I don't have to. That's the beauty of believing.

I want to thank everyone for reading this blog post, and I'd like to give you a challenge. I challenge you to forgive yourself. I challenge you to take on today feeling brand new. I challenge you to look up at the sky and be reminded that God is there. No matter what, if you feel you have no one else, you have Him, and if you feel called to come to worship at Crossroads I encourage you to do so. All are always welcome there. 

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