This is Sarah’s story- a friend and senior at Texas A&M.  I appreciate her honesty as she discovers the impact forgiveness has had on her life.  God takes something that seems dirty and broken and makes it white as snow.

This past year God has taught me what it truly means to be forgiven. Throughout my life I have struggled with the need to be accepted. Three years ago, when I was a freshman at Texas A&M, I gained that acceptance through the abuse of alcohol. I couldn’t help but love the attention I received from guys at frat parties and girls that were in my sorority when I would go out with them. When I would drink, I would become someone who was outgoing and fun to be around.  This brought me to drink more and more, getting drunk to the point of loosing control of what I was doing. I started making choices that made me feel broken and dirty, hurting relationships with family, friends and most importantly, God.

Even though I was scared of what following God might mean to friendships I made this first year of college, God offered me a life way more fulfilling than I could of imagined at the time. Sophomore year, I slowly started choosing to live for God instead of for myself. I learned how to have a deep and lasting relationship with God, which led me to go on a summer mission’s project with Cru after my sophomore year. On this project, I experienced a deeper community with others than ever before. This was one of the first times, I told girls my age about parts of my past that I had wanted to keep in the past, bringing up a bunch of guilt that I had hidden away. I understood that God had forgiven me, but I never had forgiven myself, still hiding away guilt of those decisions and fear of how those choices would affect my future. God showed me and reminded me how the Gospel is not something just to be shared with people who don’t know Jesus but that we need to remember it in our own lives everyday. I was able to overcome that guilt and fear by knowing that God loves me and He forgives me so I can forgive myself. And that broken, dirty, guilty, fearful person is made new in Jesus, who got rid of all that junk on the cross.

One thing I have learned from this time is about forgiveness.  Since God, the creator of everything, sees me as white as snow, I can see myself in the same way.  This past year God transformed my life by teaching me what it truly means to be forgiven. I know now that God’s love and forgiveness is so much greater than I can even fathom and in all that I have done or will do, I can be at peace with who I am in Him.

Hello! My name is Sarah Holmes and I am currently a senior Management major at Texas A&M. I am  also  a member of Tri Delta sorority and have had the opportunity to serve as chaplain this past year. I grew up in Dallas, Texas and have loved my time in College Station as an Aggie.  I am not certain where God will lead me after graduating in May but I am excited to follow Him wherever He takes me!