I started going to Greek IV with some friends during my sophomore year; but the real transformation did not start until I began considering the Chapter President role in my Fraternity.
I spoke with our chapter advisor, Dusty Harrison, about the pros and cons of this decision, and eventually committed. During my year as Chapter President, Dusty and I met weekly to discuss what was going on in my life. We spent time talking about struggles and challenges in the chapter, situations in my personal life, as well as my growing relationship with God. These talks with Dusty, along with weekly Greek IV events, and frequent fellowship dinners with friends from Greek IV helped me see the amount of love that Jesus has for each one of us.
During the Spring semester, I was encouraged to go to a Greek Conference in Charlotte. This weekend was so powerful for me personally. Things in life were starting to make sense and I was starting to understand that we are not in control, but that by putting trust and faith in God’s grace we will feel His love. It was such an amazing event to get together with other Greeks and worship the Lord. I saw that If we keep our hearts open, God will do wonderful work inside us. I pray that students that are open and seeking the love of Jesus can have similar opportunities to mine in my years at Clemson.
This past summer my brother, who had just finished his freshman year at Clemson and in my fraternity, suffered a fatal wakeboarding accident. This has easily been the toughest thing I have ever had to face and I pray that others do not have to, but I have found a great deal of peace in knowing that God has a plan for us all. My brother’s gifts are still evident on earth. I thank God for blessing us with 19 wonderful years with such a wonderful person. We will never know the whole plan that is ahead of us, but I am so thankful for the opportunities that God has placed in front of me. Without the understanding and life altering events that Dusty and Greek IV helped provide, I could very easily be super frustrated and rebellious against God. Instead, I know God has his hand on me and I trust that he will raise us up in the end.
