Last year Lucy Dykhouse ’20 took “Christian Spiritual Practices” in part to fulfill an academic requirement. But the Grand Rapids native has received so much more.

On the first day of class, she noticed two columns, one for course readings and the other for complementary Scripture readings. Lucy, who has yet to declare a major, says reading, discussing, and fellowshipping with other students “breathed life and wisdom into us”—and not just during class time.

“I often found myself wanting to linger on the words and ideas for a mere minute more,” Lucy says, “so I woke up a minute early to do so, reflecting in the quiet of the morning. Very quickly, a minute turned into five minutes, and five into 25 as the readings filled my heart. Dr. Wilhoit’s guidance regarding the spiritual disciplines then helped me to extend this time spent in the presence of God so that I became aware of His presence for whole days.”

“As someone who was unsure of what the future may hold,” Lucy adds, “it is priceless to have this blessed assurance of my Lord and Savior imprinted upon my heart and carried with me throughout each day.”