Swayed by Our Scholarship Applicants

Before I began writing to you today, I needed encouragement. You see, August was the month that Remembering Janet selected our latest scholarship recipients. I knew that the notification letters, mailed yesterday, would soon be eagerly opened by all the candidates, but only five would be elated to know that they had swayed us and won awards. The rest might feel disappointment . . . and I hated being the one to have to tell them that they were not chosen.

My concern over their reactions was starting to overshadow my joy for the winners. Experiencing a classic symptom of Middle Child Syndrome—as my husband, Greg, labeled my issue, I turned to God for help through my own emotional ups and downs. He led me to Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day, Psalm 95:6-7 (NIV):

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice."

The one thing I’m sure of is that Remembering Janet’s other advisors and I are not meant to select scholarship winners by ourselves. We would be foolish to weigh these important matters without consulting the One Who Cares for Us. Prayerful consideration isn’t just a phrase we toss out to appease our conscience. We bow down and worship. We seek God’s direction and listen. We know He is part of our process and that knowledge heightens our confidence in our decisions.

Remembering Janet had the privilege of seeing into the lives of men and women who want to better equip themselves to represent Christ in all that they do. They conveyed compassion and concern for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others. Additionally, they showed us how they intend to use their talents and skills in sharing the gospel message. 

     When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

     “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

     Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

     Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

     He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

     Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

We’re humbled by all of the applicants, who have—at the core of their motivation—deep and abiding love for Christ. It’s love for Him that moves them in unique ways to tend to His flock.

We thank each student for sharing personal stories with us and for being committed to a life of ministry. And with joy, we congratulate our five newest Pastor Janet Noble-Richardson Memorial Scholarship recipients. We’ll introduce you to them in September, after each applicant has received their notification letter.

Blessings to all,

Kelly