Throughout my first semester at Hope, I did not make my walk with God a priority. When deciding on what college to attend, the spiritual aspect was an important factor. Thus, I only seriously considered Christian schools. Despite this, as my first semester progressed, getting involved in any facet of spiritual life on campus dissolved into an afterthought. I prioritized my classes, my co-curriculars, my free time—pretty much everything except my relationship with God. This led to increases in vice and decreases in virtue, a selfish mindset that I was “too busy” for anything but the things I wanted to do, and a subtle feeling that something was missing. When my freshman fall semester reached its end, I did not feel dissatisfied with it at the time, but looking back it is so easy to see what was missing.
A major life change over the holiday break forced on me a radically different outlook on life and a brighter illumination of my need to rely on God. My best friend and I made it our semester goal to steep ourselves more deeply in Christian fellowship and spiritual life on campus. Part of this was signing up for something called Exodus 90. In brief, doing Exodus 90 radically changed my life in many ways. I felt profoundly more fulfilled and closer to God, and it prompted me to examine my faith in deep and important ways that I had not thought of before. The sacrifices of Exodus 90 drew me deeper into prayer and devotion, and the fellowship provided impactful relationships with other Christian men. Additionally, through Exodus 90, my prayer life was radically transformed. One of the biggest fruits that I have seen in my life is an increase in true desire for holiness and closer union with God. I am so thankful for the fertile ground Exodus 90 provided for my faith to improve, and I look forward to what God will do with this newfound desire.
After Exodus 90 finished, I joined Exodus 365 and have continued to put my journey to sainthood at the forefront of my life. I now serve as an Exodus Intern for the Saint Benedict Institute, which has allowed me to give back to the program that gave and continues to give so much to me. I thank God every day for bringing me to Hope, for bringing Exodus into my life at just the right time, and for his continued provision and blessing each and every day.
Castle Dettinger is a sophomore at Hope majoring in classics and religion.