Life Begins at the Intersection

If you knew what just happened to me, and what I did.... oh goodness.


I wrote that line to start a blog about 3 months ago, and just now came back to it. (I acutally forgot about it.) This blog will be quite different from how it would've been if I actually wrote it then, but I think that's a good thing. Warning, it's a long story. So to what I did...

A lot of you have probably heard this story, a lot of you probably haven't. On March 8, 2007 at 7:00 am, I sat straight up in my bed. I had just had a dream, but I didn't really know what it was. My alarm wasn't set to go off for another hour and a half, but I needed to get up. Something was yelling inside, "This is going to change. Do it. It's the right thing." So I climbed off my enormously high top bunk and went to my computer. I rather methodically looked up the schedule for both a BA of music and BA of religion. I figured out how I could possibly make the double major fit in in the next two years (I had previously been a hardcore BM music education). I also started looking up graduate schools that offered a MSW (Master of Social Work) program. As it started getting closer to time for me to get ready to start school for the morning, I'm pretty sure my heart rate started increasing. I guess I began to realize what was going on. Not only was I completely changing my life currently, I was changing it forever. It all felt so surreal. I also began to realize that in order to make this change it had to be now or never. We were three days into spring term, and I had already been to all my classes. But in order to try this I had to get into a religion class ASAP.

Jodi woke up and got out of bed. Poor girl, I just start bawling and she has no clue what's going on. Supposedly I said, "Jodi, I'm changing my life!" Haha, oh Tiffany. So I went to my first class at 9, and then breakfast at 10. I met Taylor at breakfast and just start spilling everything. I tell him I have to get into a religion class now, and I have no idea how that's going to happen. We go upstairs to a computer and look at the schedules. All Religion 11 classes are full. Taylor just says, "Let's go to Dr. CroweTipton's (the chaplain) office." Taylor pretty much has to carry me over there because I stop to cry periodically. Once there, I tell Dr. CroweTipton everything that's happened so far (or at least what I understand of what's happened), and without blinking he tells me everything I need to do in my time at Furman to prepare, to be in EVM (Exploration of Vocational Ministry, a program that guides students in finding their calling), what scholarships are available, how starting the religion major would work. The fact that all the classes were full worked in my favor! That way Dr. CroweTipton could just place me in his class.

I then proceed to go to my 11:00 class. All of this happens before 11 am on a Thursday morning. What?! I get a form to drop my Education class in place of the Religion class, and turn the form in the last day possible to switch classes. Tell me this is all coincidence.

That evening I went to Chris and EA's with Taylor to pick up his baseball glove. We talked for a long time about what happened that day. I of course had some doubts, or at least wanted more clarity. Chris commented, "You're just looking for some kind of burning bush," and Taylor replies, "Are you kidding? It's been a burning bush day for her!" True story.

So pretty much I have been called into the ministry in the most surreal and roundabout way possible. Not everything like that has to happen in a church or camp service. :)

Over the next couple weeks I struggle with what really my major should be. Since my first thoughts are toward Social Work, wouldn't it make more sense that I should take a sociology major? But I knew I wanted to be a religion major, and I wanted to do some sort of social ministry. The sociology idea eventually left. I had said that my Religion 11 class (the introductory course to the program no less) would be a my trial run. If I so chose, I could still go back to music or sociology and wouldn't loose anything. I needed that class anyway. If I really enjoyed it and did well, that would be my sign. Let's just say I really enjoyed it, and did better than I had in any other class at Furman.

So I guess you could say I've discerned the college part of this process, but now the question is, where do I go from here? Do I go with my original thought and get a MSW? I know I want to do some sort of ministry, probably social ministry or non-profit work, but is that the route I want to go? What else do you do with a religion major? I've thought a lot about seminary, but do I want to do three more years of school?! Two I think I can handle, but three? I don't really want to do a church job (although I have toyed with the idea), but seminary would prepare me for so much more. Divinity school? Future religion professor? I don't think so. I can't write or read that many books.

So here I am, 3 months, a semester, and changed life later. I am reading heady books about the fate of religion in a postmodern world and true calling for my summer leisure time. WEIRD. I am preparing to add a crazy amount of time commitments on top of my already crazy schedule. I will be in EVM this year and am doing an unusual combo of orientation group, helping with chapel services, and already doing an internship since I started so late. I will be working with the Greenville Area Interfaith Housing Network (GAIHN) this year, a program that places homeless, or otherwise in need, families in temporary housing in until they can get on their feet.

I am truly excited, a little nervous, and ready to trust in these next steps. God has done so much with me. I am a little shocked with myself at how I just did it. I'm not like that! I have to have everything planned and be in control of the situation. I told Dr. Ray that I didn't how I so easily gave up the music education path. He informed me that I had probably already let go of it. Without even knowing? Strange, but he's probably right. I think this process started long before that March morning, and I had no clue that anything was happening to me. God knew it needed to be done that way. He makes me laugh. :) Switchfoot is usually pretty smart, and these lyrics, "What direction, what direction? Life begins at the intersection!" have been in my head for a while now. In fact I kept listening to that song the days before I made the change. (It sounds like I'm talking about a sex change or something.) Life begins when we look up and see where we're going, when we make those life changing decisions, when we realize where God is leading us. It's when we realize what this life is truly about. It's when we find purpose.

You've one life left to lead.




"Faust, Midas, and Myself" Oh, Gravity! Switchfoot, 2006.