I had lunch with one of my former Starlite college girls today, a girl who is 19 and in her sophomore year of college. She shared some things going on in her life over lunch today and, for a brief moment, I felt like I was back in that dining hall six years ago listening to myself talk. She’s kind of on her own in life, missing some key emotional support figures. As I listened to her talk, I recognized what she needed today because I remember needing it myself: someone older to tell her they believe in her.

And so I told her. I sat my fork down, looked her dead in the eyes and told her that I absolutely believe in her, mainly because I believe in what God’s doing in her. I told her that I’m proud of her for going to her classes and writing her papers and avoiding the rebellion that usually hits right around those mid-college years. I told her that she will make it, that these days of feeling alone in the world will not go unredeemed.

I don’t know if she believed me because, to be honest, after love is there really any other feeling stronger than loneliness? I know that I wouldn’t have believed He could redeem those lonely moments if someone had of told me what I was telling her six years ago.

But I believed them today as I realized that the redemption of my own lonely days in the Dining Hall was sitting right across the table from me.