September seems to have run right past me. In fact, August seemed to fly by as well. Each day seems to feel like a mere hour and each month feels like one week. Particularly this year, I find myself clinging desperately for each passing minute, hoping to cram more and more into my limited twenty-four hours.
I've been busy before but this year seems to be re-defining the word and not just for me. Everyone's schedule seems to be as chaotic, perhaps a lingering consequence of living in post-tornado Joplin. While my life is largely unaffected by it, friends are doing truly great things to serve the city and Joplin-ites (?) and furthering the kingdom. My involvement is limited to riding my bike past the make-shift school set up as an alternative to a building not safe for students or occasionally driving through the "tornado zone," which I find myself avoiding as much as possible because each time I see it, it seems to break my heart a little more.
Instead, I have continued to serve in all the things I anticipated this fall would bring. I love encouraging and supporting my friends and community in rebuilding but that is simply not where I am called right now, which seems strange to me. If I could give more hours or somehow acquire the time-turner Hermione used at Hogwarts, I would be there in a heartbeat. But I know that my time is spent better encouraging and supporting those who do serve and loving the kids at Life House. Most afternoons are filled with Life House related activities - especially as we get ready to kick off tutoring. My mornings are spent in class and at work, and my evenings are a dismal attempt to maintain a social life, get adequate rest, and do homework and online class. It is true that only two of those ever seem compatible.
I am learning so much in my classes, particularly at Ozark. My MSSU classes are interesting as well, but I very much enjoy this season of learning and growth. I love living off-campus and having a home to retreat to and entertain from. I love when the neighbor kids come ask if I can play and the two mile ride to campus every day. It is a busy season that is flying by much too quickly, but it is a time of growth and rest and learning.
