It was the beginning of a hectic school year. As a sophomore at Great Lakes Adventist Academy, I had quite a busy schedule lined up. Chemistry, Algebra II, basketball practices, and class-officer meetings were at the top of my long "To Do" list for the upcoming year. To top it all off, the dean invited me to become a girl’s dorm Flamekeeper.

The Flamekeeper program consisted of a small group of girls who would lead a half-hour Bible study every Monday and Wednesday nights. Two Flamekeepers were assigned to each hall to work together to make the meetings fun and uplifting for the girls who attended. To me, this meant less sleep and less study time—further complicating my homework problems. Not only did I have to go, I had to plan them! But knowing that God would work everything out, I decided to pray and think hard about this invitation. In the end, I decided to step out in faith and join Flamekeepers. I had no idea how rewarding the experience would prove to be.

We usually had between six and eleven girls from our hall attend the Bible studies on a regular basis. Some nights, instead of discussing Bible texts or going through Ellen White quotes, we did something different with the girls. Once, I got out my guitar and we sang praise songs for our worship that night. On other occasions, we made cards for girls we thought needed encouragement or a reminder that someone cared.

My favorite memories are of the girls sharing what they were thankful for through prayer requests. When someone mentioned the Flamekeepers, it made all the planning and efforts worthwhile. Knowing the girls were appreciative of what we were doing was a tremendous blessing.

Unfortunately, Flamekeepers didn’t always seem exciting. I recall times when a heavy assignment or report was due the following day. Giving up study time seemed like quite a sacrifice for a little meeting, but God worked it out every single time. One time an entire class period was canceled, giving me more than enough time to study for an approaching test. Another time our teacher let us work in class together before our assignments were due. God handled every circumstance better than I ever could have thought possible! I witnessed His power on a daily basis.

Being a Flamekeeper taught me so much. I learned how to be open with others about my faith, when to talk and when to listen, and how to better connect with people I considered "hard to reach." But most importantly, I learned that God really does work for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28). Asking God what we can do for Him is basically the same as asking God what He can do for us! I know now that if we give our abilities to Him and dedicate our time to Him, He will give us back more than we ever could have bargained for.

Ashleigh Jardine is a junior at Great Lakes Adventist Academy. She will receive a $100 scholarship because her article was selected for publication.