This last spring semester at Trinity was probably my hardest semester in school ever. I started the semester working 20 hours a week but had to drop it to 17 hours in order to study. I was taking Beginning Hebrew II, Greek Exegesis I, Church History, Apologetics, and Preaching. It was a heavy load. Everyday I learned to trust God more. I learned that being the A student I was all my life wasn't the most important. It was a struggle for me. God showed me that I actually got more of my identity from being smart and getting A's without trying too hard than I realized. Consistently getting C's, D's, and F's on quizzes was incredibly disheartening for me. On top of that, Cassie and I had to plan a wedding.
I also had to do a Field Education for my MDiv degree. A Field Ed is basically involuntary volunteer work. I hated the idea of it, yet loved doing it. I needed all the free time I could get to study and relax, yet every Thursday night from 6-10pm Cassie and I went to Rogers Park in Chicago to visit with a refugee family from Nepal.
They were incredible. Kul (pronounced "cool"), Bhala ("bahla"), and Bhuja ("boo-dga") are all in their mid-20's. They are the same age as me and have lived 17 years in a refugee camp in Nepal. Kul came to Chicago in December, and his brother Bhala and Bhala's wife, Bhuja, came in mid-January. We met them when they had only been in the country for a week or so. They came from the hot, humid jungles of Nepal to the frozen tundra of a Chicago winter. It was tough coming up with things to talk about when we had nothing in common. We didn't grow up anywhere near the same cultures, but it was great. We watched Indian movies and they gave us Indian tea and amazing soup. Since this summer our relationship with them has blossomed. We are now visiting friends, not just refugees for school credit.
I write about this because God is amazing. I have never volunteered much in my life. I always thought I was too busy or that there were other things to do. But God, in His crazy wisdom, decided to make me volunteer during the busiest time of my life. It was super inconvenient, and on the Thursdays that Cassie and I didn't go we felt like we had all the time in the world. But it so worth it. God got me through the semester. I passed all my classes. I ended up with a C in Church History but who cares what Augustine's mom's name is anyways? (Not to disregard the subject, I think understanding church history is important to making wise decisions in the church now.) God gives us the strength to do what He wants us to do. He stretches us and we hate it. I hate it. But man are the end results great!
Cassie and I are hopefully going to see our friends from Nepal soon and I can't wait.
Posts
So, I hadn't checked in here for a while and thought I'd stop by. Boy was I surprised to find that I'd missed out on some great posts! Over the course of a lunch period I've been able to get caught up (and also become more knowledgeable in the ways of bonsai, beekeeping, aquatic life, and more). Honestly, I've always been impressed with your ability to branch out (no pun intended) into diverse interests, even when your circumstances wouldn't allow full-on devotion.
ReplyDeleteSo, here's to you, Jimmy! You keep it real with the lighthearted hobbies and the insightful looks at what God's teaching you. Way to be!