Fresh Start

By Brielle Man
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Being new to a city can be intimidating. Everything I knew as familiar was no longer surrounding me. This fall I transferred into UBC to study business, and the first few weeks were overwhelming and exhausting. Simple tasks like buying groceries, figuring out transit for school, and finding classes added up to create stress. Moving out is a momentous change, and although it’s a worthwhile adventure, the transition is tough.

​My first weekend at UBC I joined an orientation for first year and transfer business students. There were three hundred participants, and I was placed in a group with a dozen other transfer students. The orientation consumed my entire weekend, and I thought it was a waste of time because I didn’t instantly click with anyone. The following week I was behind in all my classes and I started to think I’d fail them (very dramatic, I know.) I was also complaining to God about how I missed my friends from home. I was numb from the endless small talk. I wanted to connect on a deeper level. I just wanted to talk about Jesus and faith, because those conversations just fill me with life. 

A couple weeks passed by and I realized one girl from my orientation group happened to be taking the same courses as me, which were highly unlikely circumstances given there is no standard time table. We ended up studying together frequently and bonding (read as: struggling) over our first Economics assignment. In a short few weeks we’d seen each other at low points, and during study breaks we got to know each other. We went out for dinner to celebrate completion of our assignment, and we somehow ended up talking about Christianity. She already knew I was a Christian, but after dinner she began to ask me questions about it. I told her I didn’t have all the answers but she’s always welcome to ask because I love to discuss tough questions. She opened up to me, stating she doesn’t really know anything about Him. But what caught my attention was her confidence in His existence. She shared how God has revealed Himself to her, and stories of God’s providence in her life. This gave me the opportunity to share why I believe in Christ, and afterwards she told me she loves hearing me talk about my faith. It was a huge encouragement to me. After our dinner, I laughed at myself for being impatient with God. I remembered that I need to intentionally trust Him every day, and how good He is. He knows exactly what we need. The conversation with my friend refreshed my love and hope in God. It reminded me that as a Christian, my purpose is to spread the good news of how Christ has won me over, and how Christ still wins me over every day.