Student Spotlight

Lori Verwolf
Hudsonville, Michigan
Class of 2013
Major: Pre-Seminary

I was born in 1988, and I am the youngest of four children. Our family moved from Monroe, Washington, to the Grand Rapids area before I was born. As a covenant youth from birth, Christ was someone I knew personally from the age of 4. My parents also guided and encouraged my spiritual growth in the home, church and through a Christian education.

In every way, I had the ultimate idyllic childhood. My family, though busy, made an effort to spend time together. Sundays were filled with family time—a morning sweet roll, worship and an afternoon feast. In the summer we took vacations out west or to Mackinac Island and spent time swimming in our pool or taking bike rides in our local neighborhood. But, as childhood began to fade into the background, the idyllic lifestyle turned into a bore. Instead, I sought not who God had made me to be, but who I thought I should be. I dreamt of fortune and success, casting aside many spiritual disciplines. This vain self-service led me into a period of time which would take a toll on my relationship with God, family and friends. During this time I lost all interest in church life, spiritual growth, academics and godly relationships. My life was empty and fueled by alcohol, tobacco, nameless faces and a paralyzing sense of inadequacy. My spiritual lethargy began in an irreverence of worship and ended in utter “.” My dreams began to seemingly steer themselves.

This constant volley—bouncing between a sin-filled stupor and a pseudo-relationship with God—lasted until His light began dramatically overtaking the darkness caused by my choices. In a conversation with my mother, I realized that I had come to a point where I was unable to speak about God. I was 22 and incapable of comfortably speaking His name. This realization was the Holy Spirit stepping out of the quiet background, helping me to see my depravity, loneliness, thanklessness and hopelessness. I turned to the pastor of my local church, which I had not attended for a year. I asked him for a book recommendation. I wanted a book with a little of everything, everything but a firm word from God. I still did not understand that God does not settle. I naively believed that a few well-placed sand bags would hold back the tide inside of me. I believed that it needed to be held back, to be fixed, to feel better. Culture had taught me that pain is always evil. Divinely, the pastor was without suggestion.

As the Holy Spirit continued its work, I began entertaining the idea of auditing a Bible class. The first school that I looked at was close to my work: Kuyper College. It was only a matter of days between the first time that I looked into auditing a class and opening my mind up to the possibility of more. At this time I remember praying:

Lord, all that I ask is that you show me your will and reveal to me in your Word what you want me to understand. Thank you for revealing your truth to me and please give me the strength to continue to seek you purely. Grant me a pure heart and will. Let my mind be focused on glorifying you and living a life of gratitude. My heart is sick. Please, Lord, transform my heart, mind and soul. Let me be your servant everywhere. I am angry. I am hateful, bitter. Help me to let it go! It is through no power of my own that I have come to this point. Lord, if it pleases you, help me on further, in truth, in Your right path. Christ, through your work I pray this.

God answered my desperate prayer. I felt little need to search other schools; Kuyper was what I was looking for. I visited Kuyper and enrolled. The day school started was the day that my faith began growing exponentially. I could have never anticipated the way God would use this school and its people to help shred all of my previous thoughts and carefully rebuild them on the solid foundation of His Word. It began with a realization of the loving community to which I had become connected. It included the students, staff and faculty. Classes were small and intimate, and questions were welcomed. I realized the journey I was on was a populated route. I was in a great company. Some were standing beside me, others beyond, all focused on one End. Where the devil had once used the mistaken reality of isolation, God now blessed me with His presence and His church.

My strong fear and apprehension gave way to a mind immersed in consuming hunger for wisdom and understanding. Faculty nurtured this desire with their deep knowledge and matching passion. Daily I am pushed to learn leadership, discipline, management, commitment and diligence. When I am not in class learning in a formal setting, I am often blessed by countless opportunities in Kuyper’s community. Holiness is something that each member of this community seeks actively after. I am often blessed by loving words from fellow students, prayer on any number of occasions, and a comfortable atmosphere reminiscent of my childhood. The things that I learn in my classes translate into my life circumstances. God takes all of these conditions and uses them to continually sanctify His child.

Now, I am one credit from being a junior—and a candidate for the pre-seminary program. As an outpouring of gratitude and love, I hope to have a future which allows me to communicate to everyone the work of salvation in my life, and to share the gravity of the gospel, God’s love, His purpose, redemption and mission. I hope to use my education to understand and encourage the church in her call, mission, struggles and functions, and to encourage people to continually seek after the God who constantly seeks after them.

God is holy. His love is perfect. I am His child.