Underwater

For those of you who continue to think that I live an easy life, I submit to you the following: I have worked seven days in a row. Yes, I am taking four days off next week after a mere 10 weeks on the job, but I have to work tomorrow to clear off my desk and all day Monday, so considering I worked last Sunday and today, it's not really four days off. Feel sorry for me yet?

Today I left my house at 12:30 and headed to Fayetteville to pick up my coworker, Chris, so that we could go to Branson to attend graduation for the Kanakuk Institute. The Institute is for students who recently received a bachelor's degree. They spend nine months in intensive Bible study to train as ministry paraprofessionals and, if they choose, they can concurrently receive a master's degree in ministry on our campus. Hence the reason we were there.

What I never realized until today was just how very impressive these young people are, how passionate about the Word of God and their mission to advance the cause of Christ. It was very humbling.

In his speech to the graduates, the President of the Institute quoted someone who said (and I'm totally paraphrasing here), "My greatest fear is that I will work too hard on things that do not have eternal consequences." We are not all called to be ministers or missionaries or musicians, but we are all called to serve God, and to further the Kingdom.

After graduation we went to Branson Landing to eat dinner, and several of the restaurants were closed because the lake level is so high that the parking lots and seating areas are under water, and evidently many of the restaurants don't have propane. We finally found a Mexican restaurant open, but they had a limited menu.

I got home at 10 p.m., so that's a nine-and-a-half hour day. I did get dinner, but there was no shopping. It ain't easy being me.