I am going to give blogging a shot again this school year. Honestly, it has been hard for me to sit down and journal this summer. I cannot quite figure out why when I have more time on my hands, being disciplined becomes more difficult.
I hope for this blog to be a little different than the last few I have dabbled in. I have entitled it "life at 503 1/2", quite simply, because my intent is to record what goes in my life in the coming years. For some time now, I have been pondering where I am at this point in my life in contrast to those around me. I am two years into college with two years left. I have been a commuter student thus far and will graduate as a commuter student. College has been a recent topic of thought for me. It has always been a point of contention with myself, as to what purpose it will serve in my life. I have had a chance to really think about this with the time off from classes this summer. The American culture has a way of inadvertently swaying young people to make decisions, big decisions, about their lives. College, a major decision in anyone's life, is probably the most culturally accepted thing to do. The majority of young American's my age go to college. I would also guess that the majority of them do so without thinking as to why. I have a few friends who have chosen not to go to college. A part of me really admires them and their anti-cultural decision. And apart of me thinks they are crazy. So I often find myself asking the question "why am I in school"? My answer is more by a process of elimination rather than purposeful intent.
My thinking goes like this.
Do I know what my future occupation will be? No, not completely. Do I want to work with my hands as a source of income? No, not at all. That leaves college. Do I like business? No, it bores me to think about. Medicine? No, I am not that diligent of a student. Law? I feel the same way about law as business, but on another level. What does that leave? Sales, education and finances. I like to teach and I like high school age kids. Lets go with education.
When I am asked if I want to be a teacher, "I don't know, maybe" is my typical response. So I ask myself if 50,000 dollars is worth spending on something I might do. I have a really hard time answering that question, mainly, because I have no idea what I would be spending my time doing If I wasn't in college.
I guess what it comes down to is I want my life to be open to be used by the Lord. I know I can teach and I know the world will never have a shortage of teachers. As the days draw nearer to His coming, I think some countries will become much harder to get into. The gospel must be proclaimed to every tribe and tongue and if a college degree is my ticket into a country that would be otherwise closed to foreigners, then yes, 50,000 dollars is absolutely worth my current lack of certainty.
But all in all, teacher or no teacher, I want my life to be defined by Jesus. I have a really hard time thinking that a middle class American lifestyle will the most purposeful use of my existence in the light of eternity. But that is a post for a later date, as I need to do much praying and thinking about that. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.
JN
