One Month Gone, Many Lessons Gained

Lesson #1: How People React To You Is All About Context.
My PCM (weekly service act) this semester rocks. I'm serving with an organization called "By The Hand" (comparable to Boys&Girls Club) in an area of Chicago known as Cabrini-Green, which is notoriously a 'recovering-projects' type neighborhood. (Well actually the city is perhaps wiping it out entirely, but that's another story). So, I was walking there (with my backpack on, eating a tuna sandwich, and drinking from a milk carton); when an officer stopped me. He gave me a sort of 'Good Afternoon Miss, are you lost?'. I responded with "anything but" and a smile. Upon walking through the door of the organization, a familiar face introduced me to her manager. He responded with some clapping, jumping, and a gleeful “You’re a God-Send!” (Lol), and then he went on to make note of my favorite cookie and tease me about how white my name is.

Lesson #2: Fresh Perspective Can Do A Soul Some Good.
I can be rather selfish when I have a lot to do. It's as if I switch into some sort of auto-pilot mode, mindlessly juggling responsibilities. Under these circumstances, any unplanned interruptions usually get disregarded, ignored, or yelled at. But this past Wednesday my dear friend was taken by ambulance to a local Emergency Department. Needless to say, I spent the day there with her, erasing eight hours of agenda in a moment's notice (willingly). My window of perspective was literally shaken and shattered as I was forced to seriously take heart as to what matters. Does it really matter if I don't finish this reading, go to this class, attend this event, be at this practice, etc, etc? I was caught in the tragedy of realizing that I had made things about obligations, lists, and responsibilities. How ridiculously unfulfilling it is to live for and focus on such temporary items. If I want to live free of hypocrisy, it has to be about relationships; obedience, love, and selflessness.

Lesson #3: People have hidden talents :).

A friend of mine (Sarah) from the Vball team can paint toenails awesomely! I just couldn't resist sharing...

Lesson #4: Never say never!

So my immensely tight schedule really limited my class options for the semester. But I wasn't ready to settle for a light load as I'm still playing a little game of catch-up credit-wise. So after a couple conversations with professors and department chairs, I get to participate in a "directed study" this semester :D. Basically, I'll receive three credits to fulfill my "Ministry Skills Elective" requirement by reading/researching and writing about stuff my heart totally beats for. I'll be reading two Catherine Hamlin books, along with a book called "Half the Sky" and one titled "Shepherding Women in Pain". WHOO, WHOO, WHOO! I more or less get to design the class under supervision of a professor. AND I recently found a ministry that serves fistula women in the Congo whose base is in Chicago! (You can bet I'm going to interview them as my class project!) I'm also taking a class this semester called 'Race, Poverty, & Social Justice' which I can already tell I'm going to LOVE (and hate). And I'm taking Philosophy as well, which just makes me sweat :P. Really each of my classes this semester should be bomb.

Lesson #5: Today's joys may be tomorrow's therapy.
As the semester drops gears to "FULL FORCE" I am ever aware of the discipline that will be asked of me. I've got a lot on my plate... much by choice, some by obligation, and a bit out of requirement. Nonetheless, I'm thrilled & filled with anticipation. There will come a time in the semester when the overwhelmed-ness that is tying knots in my stomach will question ‘what have you gotten yourself into’, and threaten ‘you can’t do this’. But as for now, I’m expectant of the opportunities and experiences to come. So I take the initiative to type it out, in case I need to come back and remind myself just what privileges and joys are tucked into each corner of my life this fall.