Kara Miller

To my sweet Chi Omega sisters,

Four years have come and gone more quickly than I would have ever imagined.

Four years later and my thankfulness cup is absolutely flooding…I’m talking a serious overflow.

I still remember the excitement and anticipation I felt as I opened my bid day letter and ran home to Chi Omega. Little did I know I was running home to a room full of girls who would soon become family. A room full of girls who would become my go-to’s, my sharpeners, my right hand.

If there’s one word that comes to mind when I think about each and every one of you it’s abundant.

Whenever I try to grasp the essence of a word I like to think of the opposite. What isn’t it? What is the very thing it’s not? This usually points me to exactly what it is.

So what’s the opposite of abundant? Scarce? Sparse?

The book of Philippians gives us a clear depiction:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

When we make ourselves scarce, the Lord responds with abundance. When we spend ourselves on behalf of others, the Lord produces a well of plenty.

That’s what I’ve seen in every single one of you. You’ve shown me what it means to make yourselves scarce in order to live a life of abundance: placing others’ needs before your own, valuing others above yourselves, calling out the good in those around you, celebrating others’ victories, spurring one another on and picking each other up.

I will never understand how in the world I got so lucky.

Our God gives really good gifts and I am absolutely certain that each of you are some of my very favorites.

Man oh man if I ever questioned the Lord’s faithfulness…just look at what He gave me! Four years of my very worst and my very best days with you humans (and maaaaany others) loving me through every part of it.

Four years of memories I’ll hold close ’til forever.

Four years of unconditional support in finding dates to ask to functions (all the praise hands because the Lord provides).

This is a season of life that I will be forever grateful for. One that I’ll treasure for the rest of my days.

Thank you, Chi Omega, for providing the girls that I never knew existed until our paths crossed in the most beautiful of ways. The girls that have been there through the deepest valleys and tallest mountain tops. The girls that have an assured confidence in who and Whose they are. The girls that don’t let circumstances shake them. The girls that love people, but don’t live to please people. The girls that are content with what they have and never strive to conjure up something more. The girls that are inexplicably light and unencumbered because Christ is their identity. The girls that show me Jesus through their words and actions. The girls that are going places and accomplishing mighty things for the sake of the Kingdom. The girls that drop everything in an instant to come alongside. The girls that love without restraint. The girls that beautifully exemplify what it means to be “womanly always; discouraged never.” The girls that I’ll stand next to as they promise forever I do to the luckiest man in the world, and who will undoubtedly stand next to me as I promise the same.

Life has a way of showing us love in the most unexpected and undeserving of ways, and it’s done that through each one of you.

Shout out to Jesus and silly Greek letters because they’ve brought me some of the sweetest friendships.

I wouldn’t trade these past four years for anything in the world.

I’d live them a million times over if I could.

So cheers to the best four years and many, many more to come.