The past twenty-four hours

Phew. I write this at 3:20 AM, psychologically exhausted, but not destroyed. I think the past day has been important and eventful. Let me try to explain.

• I finally finished my macroeconomics course. I learned a lot... but I will never use most of it. It taught me perseverance (like all miserable experiences that don't kill you) and the fact that I should never take a course on-line that is foreign to my field of study (like economics). I'm not sure what my final grade will be, but I think it will be what I've expected.


• I've receive a lot of good feedback from folks about my previous blog. I posted in on Facebook, since I know a lot of people don't read blogger. I'm proud of myself that I've kept it and don't feel ashamed about it. Some people might think being vulnerable like that is a weakness. But I know a Guy who says we must be weak in order to be made strong. I know that other people are getting blessed by it (or if nothing else, some really good gossip).


• My car continues to have problems, thus delaying my exodus back to school yet another day. My dad and I changed the transmission fluid last night, but there was a huge leak in it today.


• The big event was that I took my mom to the ER, after she fell extremely sick. She was in a lot of pain, but they gave her medication. I was in the ER from 6pm until 2am. I'm not going to say anything about hospital efficiency. They kept her overnight to watch her, but she might need surgery. I am praying for the best.


• While I was waiting for the nurses to get my mom situated in her room, I was told to sit in a waiting room by the elevator. After watching the news and reruns of the Olympics, I turn around as the elevator doors open and see Ms. Wanda, the wife of one of my pastors! She is a nurse, and I'd forgotten she worked there. I had actually lost contact between her and her husband, but here she was, doing her job on the same floor that my mom was on. By the time I saw her, I was drained. I didn't know what was going to happen to my mom, nor when I would be able to return to school, nor what would happen with my car. This is not to mention the fact that I'm still in a financial crunch. Nonetheless, God sent me one of those Moments of divine appointment with another Christian.


• Every so often, I will have "chance" meetings with people that serve asconfirmations of God's presence and existence. One day I will write about some of those experiences, but this is what they feel like: Imagine being lost or just uncertain. You're struggling along, feeling forsaken or at most, forgotten. Then, at that very moment, someone who means a lot to you (mentor, teacher, old friend) will just "randomly" appear. They don't solve or make things better, yet their mere appearance just serves as a reminder -- a God-wink, if you will -- of his presence. I left the hospital with a peace that it's all in his hands.

Even though I'm pretty tired right now, I'm not worried about it. I'm not worried about when I'll get to school, nor if my car will be better. I'm concerned about my mom, but I'm not afraid. It will be alright, no matter what happens. I still have my humor and good name, so those are reasons to be glad. I'm sure by this time next week I will have more stressors weighing upon me, except this time it will be nice, easily-controlled school stressors that come from looming assignments and time management conflicts ... at least I hope that's what will happen.