Gratitude and generosity have always been inseparable. I’ve never found a person who was grateful but not generous. And I find that generosity will change even the most stubborn pessimist into one overflowing with gratitude eventually. Why? Generosity is our response to gratitude for what we have. Gratitude is an acknowledgment that no matter where we are in life or what hand we have been dealt, we are truly blessed.
I don’t say this lightly. Darla and I daily walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I have been in the darkest of moments. And yet, I have found that God is still good. His goodness surpasses our circumstances and embodies who He is. As long as He is with us, there is hope and there is so much for which to be grateful.
That is one of the gifts we give our students at Evangel – an understanding of God that does not just survive the good times but persists and becomes stronger in the dark times. We are raising compassionate innovators, but those are not terms of weakness. It takes grit to stare into the horror of trafficking and choose to fight for freedom. It takes grit to look into the eyes of patients who are dying and choose to fight for cures. It takes grit to stand up day after day in classrooms full of children from broken lives and fight to ensure they receive a life-changing education. Evangel students live lives of grit, or as we like to call it, Valor, every single day.
I am grateful for Evangel and I know that Evangel’s mission is needed now more than ever. In a dark world, we are and we produce light! Will you come alongside us and help us invest, build, and grow into this next season of impact and momentum? Your end of year gift could be the catalyst that changes not just one generation but multiple generations. We see this story play out over and over again. A student receives a scholarship, his or her life is changed, and twenty years later, their child is back on campus without the baggage of brokenness that their parent carried into freshman year. And it is because of people just like you. Lives and legacies are being changed every single day. I am so grateful to be a part of Evangel, this mission, and this moment.
Thanksgiving and the holidays can be tricky for those of us who have lost those we love most. I want you to know that Darla and I see you, we are praying for you, and you are not alone. God is still good even in the midst of our pain and yours. And He desperately wants to be with you right now in this moment. So, let me close with a prayer.
Heavenly Father,
You said You would be close to those who mourned. You see each one who is grieving loss this year. Be with us. Let your Holy Spirit wrap around each family. And let them know that despite the pain, You are still present and available.
In Your Son’s Name We Pray,
Amen.
Dr. Mike Rakes
Evangel University President