I recently had a wonky light switch. Wonky in the sense that when I flipped the switch, the light
would not turn on right away. It seemed, well, delayed like the signal had to make a trip around
the block and then the light would turn on.
At first, I thought it was a new place and I just had to remember which switch went to which
light. But then I realized something was wonky. The connection shouldn’t be delayed or wonky.
Soon enough, someone came to look at it, found the issue and fixed it. Connection restored!
As I was working on an email list of alumni for homecoming, I realized that sometimes we have
fuzzy connections. Students are with us while they are at ISU and then they move away and
the connection gets fuzzy. They no longer have access to their ISU email, they get involved in
work, maybe a new or deepening relationship, maybe a wedding, a new home, or even start a
family. All of those factors can create fuzzy relationships.
We lose track of students as their life moves on. We have lots of lists of students that we have
emailed over the years. If we had an ISU email address, that will stop working at some point.
That first job may not want emails from outside the business, so our emails get caught in a
filter or bounce back. Moving may mean a new internet carrier with free email! And their email
address may change again.
The connections with students get a little fuzzy. And yet, as students move on, they find new
connections. Some may even stay in touch with friends from college. This year, as I sent
emails about our homecoming lunch, I received a few responses graciously declining the
invitation. But then they went on to share how their time at Collegiate/Wesley was the most
formative years of their life!
One lady shared how she has connected with a friend from college once a month since 1959!
One gentleman shared how he met a beautiful young woman at a dinner hosted at
Collegiate/Wesley one night and he couldn’t think about anything else. He still graduated, but
they were married soon after that and his life has been a blessing! Another note said they
reflect on their time and activities during college often and lift up a prayer for our church and
campus ministry. I love that!
So now the focus will be to work on those fuzzy connections and see if we can make sense of
them in order to be able to communicate once again all that is going on in our church and in
our campus ministry! If you are still in touch with your friends from your time in Wesley Center,
please feel free to pass along their contact information.
A huge ‘thank you’ to all who helped with the Wesley Alumni lunch. I appreciate all who
stepped in to make it happen! The decorations were festive, the food was on point, and next
year, we may have a few new/not new faces joining us!
Blessings abound!
Jena
