I’m asked a lot why I’m getting a doctorate. Here’s the short story.
In May 2005, I finished my Master’s and was hired as a school administrator. After about a year, I knew I was ready to go back and get my PhD. While in the process of getting this degree, I became very ill (see my other posts). Once I was well enough to return to work, it became very clear to me that my priorities had changed because of the illness. I still wanted to pursue the degree because I love to learn. But I no longer had aspirations to be THE Superintendent at a public school district. I was having great difficulty with my job and I was emotionally unhealthy. About the time my family and I came to grips with the fact that I needed a change, Gateway Church hired me to serve on their ministry staff. They also asked if I would be willing to finish the degree. Well, that was a no-brainer!
I think it’s amazing how the Lord strings events together to work for our good-even when they don’t feel good at the time. My experiences over the last several years have thoroughly convinced me that we can never fully know the course our lives will take. We may have experiences now that prepare us for God’s work many months or years down the road-only he knows. So, while I may not have a total understanding of exactly how I’m going to use this degree when I’m finished, I know that He does. And that will have to suffice as an answer for me right now. In the meantime, I press on to complete what I have already begun.
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