“I was raised Catholic, and I believed in God, but I wasn’t interested in letting him into my personal life,” reflected Emily Eyre, a senior at Millersville College. Two years ago, when health problems prevented her then boyfriend from going to college parties and drinking, the two were at a loss on how to spend their time. One night, they heard of an InterVarsity Bible study being held in their dorm basement and figured they might as well go.
The Bible study discussion that evening and the community of InterVarsity students intrigued Emily, and she kept coming back even after she and her boyfriend broke up. “I went because I liked the people there and I liked to feel that I was part of something,” said Emily. “I have Aspergers. I’ve never been socially successful. I’ve had a hard time making friends. When I met InterVarsity, I never felt judged or out of place.”
Choosing between drugs and Jesus
As she got more involved in the InterVarsity chapter, Emily began thinking seriously about Jesus’ invitation to follow him. But she also began dating an atheist student who smoked marijuana and encouraged her to do so as well. For a year, she went back and forth between her old habits and the life she saw Jesus offering her. Her roommates, two InterVarsity students, offered to help her stop smoking if she wanted. “I thought I couldn’t function without it and didn’t have any intention to stop,” said Emily.
One day, through an awkward conversation with a friend who didn’t know she smoked marijuana, Emily realized she was tired of hiding things from people and leading a double life. “I had to finally admit, ‘I can’t do this,’” said Emily. “I decided to quit altogether.”
She invited her friends over to celebrate her decision to follow Jesus and to get rid of the rest of 
her marijuana. “I’d always had schoolwork I needed to worry about—it never stopped me before. The fact that I had to spend money on it had never stopped me. I never thought I’d be able to do this. I attribute it to the confrontation with my friend. I believe that Jesus called my friend to be a wake up call for me,” said Emily.
Her boyfriend was upset with her choice to follow Jesus and continued to pressure her to pick up her old habits. She realized she needed to end the relationship, and her roommates prayed with her through the process. “It gave me the strength to do it without looking back,” said Emily.
Finding her calling
Emily has kept these commitments for several months now and plans to be more involved in her InterVarsity fellowship as she heads into her senior year. “When I was still smoking weed, that created a distance where I felt like I didn’t have the right to reach out to others,” said Emily. “I feel that it’s time I started having a bigger part than just attending the meetings.”
In the last year, her attitude towards her studies has also changed. “Before I just wanted to graduate and find a job that pays the bills. During the road to becoming a Christian, I got more interested in my field, especially after reading books about how power is unequally distributed in our society.”
She now plans to continue her studies in sociology and work towards a master’s degree. “I don’t want to be a social worker per se, but I want to contribute something to society,” said Emily. “God is calling me to use my sociological thinking and Christian perspective to accomplish that.”
Though the journey has been difficult at times, Emily is grateful that her experiences brought her closer to God and her friends within InterVarsity. She finds encouragement in Psalm 23 where God is described as a rescuer and protector, the One who forgives her of her sin and gives her new life: He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
