Saturday, 12 January 2008

Dwell in the present

I'll admit it. Getting this semester underway hasn't been easy. Leaving home from Christmas break is always hard, but staring my last semester at Hope in the face is a scary prospect. After Hope is my first blank prospect.

I guess that's not completely true. I'll graduate and go out into that place called "the real world" and get a job and begin "life after college." It sounds simple enough, and in some ways, I suppose it is.

But that's what makes it scary. For 22 years and a little over 4 months now, my life has been more or less been pretty clearly laid out. I knew what was ahead. No real surprises. First came preschool (ahhhh, good old Brookhill Montessori Preschool... that place is still near and dear to my heart). My time there came to end, but I knew I'd start kindergarten at Franklin Elementary where Jordan had gone. The family and I fretted over where I'd go after second grade, but once we settled on Foster Elementary (go Bulldogs!), then the sailing was smooth. Foster for four years through sixth grade. Then to OJ DeJonge for 7th & 8th grade. Then Ludington HS. I was an Oriole.

Even college, really, was a laid out path. Making a decision was a bit more difficult, but I pretty much knew I was going to college and that the next four years of my life had something to do with being away from home for about 8-9 months of the year with summers probably at home and Christmas breaks. The choice to come Hope was the most difficult part, but that became easier soon enough.

Recently, I've been overwhelmed by the unknowns. Student teaching is a big enough unknown itself-the other field placements will be dwarfed by this semester, so I really want to do my best, give it everything I can, and learn everything I can from it. I was encouraged by the first day-I think being placed with Mr. DeBoer was the right move. But I already am looking past it, maybe too much. What lies beyond student teaching and graduation, when my time at Hope is over?

Friday was a good "push" into the semester. It was a nice kick start, a healthy dose of life back at Hope and a good reminder of what I missed over break. I flirted with disaster and was almost late for class (yikes? oh yes), but lunch after Chapel proved to be a truly enjoyable experience. Communion must really be my ultimate value because I took this gathering in like a sponge-Becky & Jeannette (who was off from school because of a blackout) had the brilliant idea to ask Zach if he wanted to have lunch. He and I both jumped at that opportunity, since we've turned into an "urban tribe" with his work schedule quieting down and Brandon abandoning meal plan. Before I knew what happened, I come back from Nykerk and discover Anne putting buffalo wings in my oven, Jeannette & Becky have pizza, pop, & Crazy Bread waiting, Zach & Brandon wondering where I've been, and Jon calling on the phone asking what we're doing for lunch. Needless to say, I went crazy to have a gathering of my friends in my living room for lunch. It was grand.

(Something to ponder: what is it about eating together that is so special? I still can't explain it and I really wish I could.)

That felt like a warm-up to the evening, though. I learned an interesting lesson over the afternoon: the Wal-Mart in Holland has a pitiful selection compared to Meijer, especially when I'm looking for something specific. It almost made me late for dinner with Nate, Brandon, and Nik! And who'd want to miss a dinner with them?! The four of us proved that men know how to cook, and not only that, we can rescue food from the brink of disaster/inedibility.

Case and point: Nate's baguette was two days old. Unfortunately, the ones from Meijer's bakery are supposed to be eaten soon after you buy them, or they harden to about the consistency of your average baseball bat. Not exactly something your dentist would probably recommend for your teeth. Thankfully, I remembered an old trick I learned from days back in the kitchen at the Manor and put that sucker in the microwave for a minute with... a glass of water. Yes, a glass of water. The result? Not only did the bread soften right up to something much more palatable (and non-soggy), it was good and hot, too! So we didn't have to chop it into croutons for that chicken Caesar salad. Add some bubbly cider, a bowlful of chopped Fuji apples, some conversation about the Bible Studs, and a hefty dose of prayer, and you have the makings of a great dinner and evening with some of my best friends.

I got demolished in Blokus by Jon, Eddie, & Tyler, and laughed a little too hard messing around with Nik's Flarp with Jon, Brandon, & Nik. But that stuff proved that inside every well-adjusted college guy's sense of humor is someone who can laugh at farts. Yup.

The real highlight of the night, though, was back in Nykerk, sort of on a whim. Jon asked Nik and me if we wanted to join him for an evening at Jeannette's apartment for worship in singing with some other people. Since I don't often hear about them, I usually don't end up going to these impromptu musical worship gatherings, so I naturally jumped at the chance. Being the cold, yucky night that it was, Nik grabbed his guitar and we took my car back over to campus, only to end up walking from the mini Dow parking lot. So much for close parking.

What a night of music it was. Some of my favorite people were there! Jon. Becky. Jeannette. Analisa. Nik. Zach. Laura. Steven & Joanna. Noah & Kristen. Laura. And we had a roomful of instruments, to boot. Zach, Nik, & Jon all had guitars with them, Steven dug out a double bass, Noah knew where to find the unlocked percussion stuff, Zach pulled out his cello from his locker, and we had two pianos to work with, too. The fun kicked off around 10:30 and I honestly didn't watch the clock or really care. I only left at 1:00 A.M. because I couldn't handle staying up any later. But it's a great reason to stay up that late, and some of the best company I could ask for.

Yes, I'm looking at unknowns beyond this semester. But like last night, I'm trying to take my dad's advice into consideration and just live in the present. That's where I am, and last night, that's where I dwelled. And I knew it felt right.

Currently Listening Kingdom of Heaven By Iestyn Davies (connter-tenor), Catherine Bott (soprano), Harry Gregson-Williams Crusaders see related