What’s in Your Wagon?
Mustard Seed Chronicles: Story Time with LU Grandma
What’s in your wagon that is a very strange question to ask but it’s a very important question to ask as we get our students ready to come to Liberty University for the fall semester.
When the Pioneers decided that they were going to go West there was a lot of planning that had to be in place before they could go. First, they would need to have a wagon. Then they would need horses to pull the wagon. The number of horses would have to equal how much weight was going to be pulled in the wagon. A small wagon would need two, but a large wagon might need as many as six.
The next thing to consider was what do you take with you? I used to watch a lot of westerns with my boys when they were growing up. They seemed to love the wagon train stories the best. What we learned was there were some people from the East who had no idea what they would need to take with them. They would either take way too much or they would not take enough. If they took too much, they would end up throwing things out as they reached rougher terrain, when they had to cross rivers, or whatever. There were others who lacked enough food, proper types of clothing, or any way to carry water. They did not have enough money to buy those things or didn’t even know what to ask.
The wagon master usually was the one they went to for advice. He had been on the route many times, so he knew what they would need. He also provided them with guidance, protection, a Chuckwagon with food and seasoned cooks that would drive it.
So how does all this apply with getting ready to come to Liberty University? The admissions counselors have done their best to guide you with the finances and that type of thing. Now what?
Think of that wagon. That wagon is called FAITH! Without it, one would not get anywhere. The protectors are Liberty Police Department. The “Chuck Wagon” is the Dining Hall. The Wagon Master should be God the Father and the horses that pull the wagon are the Holy Spirit and Jesus the Savior. There were usually two boxes on each wagon. One was a cash box, the other held things like basic medical supplies, etc. Those are Student Financial Services and Student Health and Wellness.
What is the “baggage” they need to put into that wagon for their journey at LU?
- The first thing that needs to go in is their Bible which is the actual road map for life. That book gives all the other guidance your student will ever need!
- The second is a teachable humble spirit. Pride and arrogance are the enemies.
- The third is a willing heart: willing to step out of themselves and look to the needs of others instead of just looking out for their own needs. A willingness to follow a new set of rules they may not have had at home. A willingness to ask for help when and if they need it without having pride get in the way. And most importantly, a willingness to advocate for themselves since they are leaving home for new territory.
- The fourth thing they would need would be someone to help them navigate this thing called college, so they arrive at the proper destination.
Think of the wheels that roll the wagon along. Your student is like the hub of those wheels. All the different offices at Liberty University are the spokes of that wheel that go out to the rim which hopefully will say graduation. Each spoke is a different website.
The Parent and Family Connections office is a great place for parents to start to find out which spoke they need to rely on at any given time. The student’s CASAS professional advisors are a great resource as well to connect them with all the different offices that they need: Office of Residence Life, Office of Spiritual Development, Student Counseling Services, Student Service Center, Student Activities, any of the different Schools and Colleges within the University and maybe the Office of Commuter Life if they are not living on campus. The list goes on.
With those supplies and that support group, your student has the very best chance to arrive at their destination successfully.
Prayer:
Dear Father, many students will be coming to Liberty this fall from all over the world. Most are traveling from home to be “on their own” maybe for the first time. That can be a bit scary. Please help the parents and the students to make use of all the resources we offer to them to make this trip as enjoyable and fruitful as possible. There will be bumps in the trail, some “rivers” they must cross to get to their destination. We pray they will have the steadfastness to count those things as “pure joy” as James tells us in James 1:2-4. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The last sentence is the destination!
I pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen!
Meet the Author
Timi Plyter
“LU Grandma”
Lead Parent Advocate
