mikao's world

Educated

This afternoon on my walk to the academic building, I passed a woman who had to be around the same age as me. But, she could have been perhaps a couple of years younger or a couple of years older as well.

The difference between us, however, was that I was carrying a backpack of books and she was pulling a little wagon with her two children in it.

When my mother was my age she already had given birth to her first child. I spend my days doing research. I work at camp in the summertime. I don't even have a boyfriend.

My mother went to modeling school for a semester and modeled for a bit doing runway shows, and then I think she did a year of secretary school. She got married. She had four children. She quit working when I was 2 to raise her children properly and went back to work part time when I was 12.

As I continued my walk to the academic building, I was marveling at how pretty much in the length of two years I will have become a highly educated woman. I received my Associate of Arts degree in 2002. I received my Bachelor of Arts in 2003. This April I'll get my Master of Arts.

There aren't too many females who finish four year degrees at Bible college... they end up leaving or getting married or finishing a shorter degree. The population of females in fourth year here, and those finishing their B.A.s is not very large. The number of women in seminary is even smaller. There aren't any others in my program (youth and family ministry).

I continued on my walk and then came across a woman I know, who also happens to be highly educated, as women go. She’s about ten years older than me. She's not married and she works for the school. She just got a car. A 1981 Buick LeSabre. She got it for free and was jubilant at her good fortune.

Where will I be in 10 years?

I was talking to a good friend of mine on the phone not too long ago and she was asking me what I planned to do after I am finished here. "I don't really know for sure, but I'm applying for jobs," I responded. "Surely God has not brought you this far without a reason, Michelle," she said.

And it's great to know she is right, I just have no idea where He's taking me next.