I spend a lot of time in Starbucks. Starbucks and I hang out Monday and Friday morning in Torrance, Tuesday and Thursday in Azusa, and Wednesday in Laguna Niguel. It was a strange realization that I am more aware of who works at Starbucks than I am of my neighbors at home. Strange.
This semester marks the middle and second half of my doctorate. It is also the most gruelling schedule I have had to maintain, leaving me exhausted by Friday. I have found that this semester I have asked the questions of "why" and "how" more often than any other semester in my academic career.
The question of "Why". Why do I do this, why did I choose this profession? Why a doctorate? Why this schedule. I have to say that I love what I do when I am with patients, when I am with those precious little children. Hearing the stories is often painful, but as horrible as the story is, to sit, to play, to laugh, to offer hope to parents is beautiful, is renewing, offers hope, to parents but also to me. It is for me, evidence of Christ at work.
The question of "how". How am I ever going to make it out of this program? That is asked far more often than I ever imagined. How am I going to get through the amount of work that I have? How am I going to ever complete my dissertation? I ask these questions often.
In my very narrow focus of school I have to say that God has been amazing. In a year where all budgets were cut Jeff was granted money for a full-time intern. Something desperately needed for the youth at our church, and for Jeff's sanity! I am TA'ing a class with an incredible professor that continues to provide me an opportunity to read material that I love - spiritual formation - and be reminded of Christ's work in my own life and the lives of students behind me. The girls that I work with at our church are being nice to each other - most of the time. They are showing up to small group regularly - they are invested. My prayer for them, answered. I have really funny friends, who although I rarely see, make me laugh and remind me of the days of having the time to just "be" with good people. I need to be reminded of these little things - which I so rarely take time to note.
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If I become a Starbucks for awhile will you hang out with me just as much? ;) You can DO it girl! Only a year and a half yet!And hopefully you won't pass anything so you have stay down here longer....he eh he...teasing. You are beautiful in so many ways Krista.
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