Pinterest, Facebook, and Affirmative Action

I’m sitting in the Student Union doing research for a persuasive speech about banning Affirmative Action in college admissions that’s due next week, not because I’m on top of my work, but because it’s the only work I have. With finals less than two weeks away I can feel the stress building from the work I’ll have this time next week. So, for now I kill time researching Pinterest, my Facebook friends and Affirmative Action.

As I finally buckle down on this speech I find myself staring at a blank word document and a sudden belief in reverse discrimination. The smell of Panda Express and the lack of feeling in my butt tells me I should quit working on this speech and come back to it tomorrow—just like yesterday and the day before. While I’m distracted by the taste of imaginary orange chicken in my mouth, I meet eyes with a guy listening intently to his peer. As the guy was Asian, I sort of assumed it was some type of language helping situation. That was until I realize what they’re discussing. In the hands on his peer is a little blue booklet, a booklet I’ve seen before.

When CRU made the videos of our stories for the campus to watch, they gave each of us three soul-saving pamphlets, intended for those who have questions about Jesus. I saw this a as a joke at the time. I was being brave enough wearing the same shirt for a week and posting my testimony about how God found me that I had no plans on sharing a pocket-sized picture book with some stranger. It was then when I realize the peer is a boy I’ve seen at CRU, a boy whose video I watched. He sits patiently explaining the pictures and story line and openly shares his story with the young man when he has questions arise.

For the first time all week I felt calm. I no longer was consumed with what stress will be on my shoulders next week or what I need to say to persuade my audience, but what beautiful work God had planned for that boy; what beautiful work he had planned for me. So until He tells me what that is, I guess I should get back to this speech.