In Which TUS Returns to College!

 You know, my life is fairly predictable. I like the rhythms of simple days ("make it your ambition to lead a quiet life," 1 Thess. 4:11, is a verse that makes me smile), and I can honestly say that very little has happened in my life so far to throw me for a major loop or send me spiraling in whole new directions. Other than, of course, meeting Jesus at the age of 27. 

Recently, though, I got an entirely unexpected chance to go back to school. 

From time to time, I'd thought about a master's degree, but I never thought it would happen and didn't particularly care. I mean, how would I ever afford it, when would I have the time, what job would it lead to, who'd mind the kids, and what would I even study? Every year my recall of my BS math curriculum faded a little more, and the idea of an MBA to build on my second major (business) left me cold. And speaking of cold, the cold hard fact is that I'm not terribly career oriented and never have been. At least, not in the wear-work-clothes, leave-the-house, make-a-meaningful-salary way. In the write-teach-edit-from-home, sketchy-income way, things worked well enough. 

But this past spring, God spoke. 

Opportunity and finances aligned. There will be no debt accumulation; I wouldn't do this if there were. I won't be obliged to seek employment to earn my investment back (as if I'd get hired at my age); I wouldn't do this if I were. This will be, in the broadest sense, equipping for personal ministry. Put another way, some people travel in their dotage; perhaps TUS goes to school.

I asked the Lord if just kind of wanting a master's degree for the sake of having one was reason enough to pursue it. He said, immediately, "Just entering a master's program at your age will be a conversation starter." And that is already proving true. Over the following couple of months, He opened my mind to understand that the people I'll most often be led to will be the type of people who respect a degree. 

So, tonight is my first class! If all goes as planned, I should graduate in spring 2027 with a BA in biblical studies, and with the MA in spring 2029.

And perhaps the takeaway here is that no matter what decade of life you're in, no matter how steady your life has been, that doesn't mean God won't step in and shake it up with something you never expected, or wake up a thought you'd long since put to bed. As long as we're still here and breathing, He's not done with us yet.