Dawn of the Future

A week ago tomorrow, my life of wandering began to end. I received word on Wednesday that Bob Jones University had accepted me into grad school, and I will be attending there in the fall!

No more basement bedrooms; no more housesitting for people; no more living in houses while one family moves in and another moves out. No more balancing on the edge, wondering what the future contains, unable to commit to anything because I never know when I will be moving on.

And yet at the same time, this inevitably results in a lot more work and responsibility on the horizon. Yes, I have handled a lot of work before, and yes, it would be a relief to finally have something fill my day (instead of finding various ways to kill time all alone). But I know that this will entail bills of my own to pay, schoolwork, a career, and whatever social life I end up in–and all this will be far greater than what I have faced during my undergrad life. But I know it will be worth it, every single second of it, and it will be better than a life with nothing to do in it. With great power comes great responsibility.

(Yes, that is a Spider-Man quote. Bonus points for catching it.)

I’ve begun to feel more at home here in Union Grove than I ever have before. Perhaps because I’m living here on my own, not with parents to schedule my doings. Perhaps because I’m an adult and haven’t been making all the mistakes I’ve made in past stays here. Perhaps because I’ve been around long enough to feel comfortable and get to know people better–this is the longest I’ve been in Union Grove since I began attending Northland. It’s been interesting for me to think on all these things–I’m beginning to perceive the church here more like a large family bound together in Christ, not like a conglomeration of people who know each other well yet care little for the outsiders. The hospitality has been unparalleled to that of former days–is it because I do not have parents around for them to offer the hospitality to, or is it because they see I have needs and they seek to meet them?

I have not minded the absence of some Western luxuries. I’ve been learning to get by on the bare necessities–a valuable skill for the days ahead. A nomad will work with what he has, and if there is something he needs, he will either go get it or work without it. This is not to say that the charity of my church isn’t appreciated, of course. I am extremely thankful, and only wish I was able to pay them back somehow.

I still await confirmation of a job down at Bob Jones University. I have an interview tomorrow morning for a job there, and I pray that I will receive it. If God leads you to pray for me, please do so. If you have been interviewed before, you know that I will need prayer. Soon, very soon, I’ll be able to decide when I can move down to Greenville and begin my new chapter of life there. This will be the longest journey this nomad has ever made–I’ll be leaving a lot behind me as I begin again. Though I doubt that I will stop being a nomad–I’ll still be a nomad in spirit, as I have been for a long time. This lifestyle probably won’t be over until I have settled down. Of course, I don’t mind it–I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.