Belonging Before Believing
Melodee comes from a spiritually diverse background. She was raised in a nominally Buddhist home, but her parents sent her to Catholic camps and a Christian school. This caused a lot of confusion, which left her feeling empty inside and desiring a sense of belonging. Despite all her achievements and all the people in her life that loved and supported her, she couldn’t shake her loneliness.
Competitive by nature, Melodee arrived at UC San Diego, striving to be the best but feeling like she never measured up. “The one religion that continuously pursued me was Christianity,” she says. A long-time friend, Clara, invited her to church and a Campus Outreach retreat. Melodee attended but worried that people would judge her because she didn’t fit in; she wasn’t well-versed in scripture and had been in the world for so long. She voiced these concerns to Sam, a Campus Outreach director, and he was quick to share that Christians are not perfect and the church is a place for broken people. In the coming weeks, a campus staff member named Noah would follow up with Melodee and ensure she felt plugged into the community.
Melodee attended the New Year's Conference, and every night her roommates discussed what had resonated with them from the day’s seminars. Sea, a staff woman at UCSD, asked what was holding Melodee back from following Jesus. Melodee honestly confessed her fear of being a disappointment and said she should wait until she was a better person. Sea responded with the truth that the Lord offers unconditional love; it’s not about what she can offer Him but what He has already offered her. Melodee surrendered.
“A speaker at the NYC used the phrase, ‘Belonging Before Believing.’ This sums up my testimony as I was loved and pursued by the students and staff of Campus Outreach.” Not only does Melodee have a community in her church and on campus, but she has found the One to whom she belongs.