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When I graduated from high school and headed off to college, I was still trying to figure out a lot of stuff about life. But if

I was sure of one thing, it was this:

God did not exist. And as far as I was concerned, nothing would change my mind. I had a foul mouth. I was into drinking and sex. And I didn't like Christians. That is, till I met a few—starting with Ami, my roommate.

Sometimes Ami talked about her faith. But mostly, she just lived in a way that I could tell there was something different about her.

I rarely felt judged by Ami; I felt more sorrow than judgment coming from her. Ami realized I was hurting, and she felt sad for me. Rather than saying, "Wow, aren't you a mess?" she showed me compassion.

Here's a perfect example: One night I stumbled into my dorm really drunk. I was nauseous; I'm sure I was quite a sight. But what did Ami do? She helped me into the bathroom and held back my hair while I threw up. Then she helped me into bed. I was at my worst, and she was still gracious.

The next morning, I was miserable. Ami said, "I don't think you're miserable because of a hangover. I think you're miserable because you're hurting inside." She didn't say it in a mean way; she said it with grace. And she was right.

And then there was Paula. She never judged me either. She was bold about her faith, but never forced it down my throat. She gave me Bible verses every day. She put them in an envelope, sealed it and said, "If you want to read these, just open the envelope."

I started reading those verses. I started asking Ami and Paula questions. They listened and answered. And they kept loving me, even though I resisted. I said, "I'm an atheist. This isn't real."

But it was real. For three months, Ami and Paula and others—many of whom were praying for me all along—lovingly proved it to me in so many ways. And their love pointed me to God. That October, my freshman year in college, I joined them. I became a Christian too. My real journey had begun.

Ami and Paula remind me of Paul and Apollos, leaders in the early church. They pointed people to God, using different strengths and strategies. But in the end, it was all God.

Paul wrote: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" (1 Corinthians 3:7).

Thanks to Ami and Paula and other caring friends, I finally found a place to put my roots. And thanks to God, I started growing.

Still am.

Jennifer Knapp attended the Grammy Awards after her Lay It Down CD was nominated for Best Rock Gospel Album. Jen, a jeans-and-T-shirt gal, reacted to her nomination by saying, "Oh, great, now I have to buy a dress!"

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Campus Life.

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