For What It's Worth

"Our Neverland

Our Narnia

Our heaven on earth

You know I'll always love ya

For what it's worth."

~Katie Grace

How do I explain the past three months? The first question everyone asks is “what did you learn?” Then I have to wonder which category they are referring to.

In regards to work I have learned that all work is profitable and a pushing forward of redemption. It doesn't matter what society thinks, all work can be glorifying to God. This changes how work looks and also my attitude. It isn't an obligation, but rather a gift and privilege that God allows us to participate in with Him. What a blessing this is to us as God's children!

While work is important, so is rest and glorifying God through that as well. Taking time to worship through taking time for yourself and rejouvinating yourself is beneficial to you, but also for everyone around you. It is hard to serve others when you have nothing to give. Along with this comes being a good steward of your body and getting the rest you need.

In regards to other people, I have learned most people have many layers, and when you start to peel them all back, an amazing human being with feelings and scars and joys comes shining through, even the people who don't want you to see it. Relationships hurt, but that is also a joy of loving others. It is always worth the pain to love someone with pure abandon. All people have stories to tell, and all of our little stories work together to form the amazing story of Semester 2017.

A big part of being here has been learning about God and His relationship with His children. Even when it looks and feels as if God is nowhere to be found, looking around there has been a huge impact of where He is and how He is working. An example of this is that even when all of us have been falling apart and in despair, there has been encouragement between students, staff, and faculty and that love has still abounded. Strife between us has been minimal and dealt with maturely and quickly by all involved.

No, we are not perfect, but God has worked mightily through our many imperfections.

Of course I had classes too. Those taught me more than just facts, though there was a lot of that too. From church history starting in the Old Testament through the modern church, to English literature starting with Beowulf through Hemingway, to politics, to biblical foundations, which required us to read the entire New Testament in two days or less. The main point though was to learn to think for ourselves and to think well. As our beloved Bauman would say, "Be teachable or get out!"

Semester stretched me beyond what I thought possible, yet in good ways. It wasn't always easy, by any means of the imagination, but it was good. Dustin told us over and over that Semester is a safe place to fail, and that turned out to be more than true. Leaving this community was the hardest thing I think I have ever done in my life up to this point, but it was never meant to be forever. It was preparation for real life. Now we are in real life and have to fight for what we believe and live our lives in light of all the incredible lessons we learned in and out of the classroom.

"What if I fall?

Oh, but darling, what if you fly?"

~Peter Pan

"Now we're back to the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet.

But just because they can't feel it too

Doesn't mean that you have to forget."

~"The Call" Regina Spektor