The title of my last blog post was "Wrapping Up." That was July 8th, 2014, and I had no idea at the time just how descriptive that title that would be. I didn't anticipate taking an entire year off from blogging, but that's what happened. I can only say that I must have needed it. Academically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally, it's been a year of growth. I've faced bigger challenges and added responsibilities, and they have run their course, helping to shape my life and to hone my sense of calling and purpose. In a way, this year has felt like track practice used to feel back at Pierce County High School. I've been coached. I've been worked out. And I've been exhausted sometimes. But now I feel ready for a new stage. It's back to the starting line.
So, what's this new leg of the race look like? To sum up a theme that's been emerging in my life, the last three years have been a lot of other people pouring into me. Now, it's my turn to do the pouring. I know that I've done my fair share of shaping others even while others have significantly shaped me, but I've been much more in the student-disciple phase of the learning cycle. Coming into my senior year, however, I'm finding that I've been thrust into a sphere of greater responsibility. Up to now, I've predominantly been the learner, and even though I'll never stop learning, I see the doors opening to take the teacher role. In a word, I'm growing up.
Take school, for example. I faced some of the most difficult but rewarding classes that I've ever had last year, even adding something to my course of study (an 18 credit-hour European history component). My undergraduate study of linguistics is now complete because I've taken every linguistics class that NGU offers. I also did some advanced Biblical exegesis, ethical work, and historical research, and my Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) class gave me the chance to plug into the international community in and around Greenville. Now, with my final undergraduate year on the horizon, I'm almost done. I'm still learning, but I've become an academic tutor, I (tentatively) have a NAMB supported internship with my college church, and I'm going to be a weekly ESL volunteer. My eye is on graduation and on applying to life everything that I've been so focused on absorbing.
Another example is in the area of relationships. For those of you who know me personally, you know that I've been dating an amazing woman, Rebekah, since March of 2014. Well, our relationship began on the heels of a significant spiritual and emotional crises for me, which I crawled out of by God's grace and the faithfulness of my family and (in particular) three close friends. Now, one of those friends is getting married and another is moving with his family to the Middle East. I've been able to grow confidently in my relationship over the course of the past year, and now I'm finding that others are coming to me to ask advice and wisdom. Though I feel inadequate, I recognize that God used the support of family and those friends to to help me see some of the thought patterns and patterns of action that help bring about healing, growth, and maturity. As I have learned, I'm now responsible to go and share.
I could give other examples, but the hour is late and my point is made. But, I want to make sure that blogging becomes a regular part of my life this year. To make sure of that, I'll commit to publishing at least twice per month, on every first and third Monday. Hopefully, I'll be able to write more posts and publish them throughout, but you can expect at least twice in the month. Now, what will they be about? I'm not sure yet. I never am. But, I'll put my college slogan to test once again: "Somehow, it always gets done."
