Where did it go... the time that is!

OK. I feel compelled to write on this topic based on the shear fact that I have not written on a topic in quite awhile. I know that there are many who would agree that time has flown since Thanksgiving. It is even more mind boggling to think that the semester will be over in less than two weeks. I know the Junior Class is freaking out with their very first round of finals in seminary. The Middler Class is freaking out about getting their paperwork done for CPE, or preparing for their cross cultural experience. The Interns are probably still figuring out where they fit in at their church, and the Senior Class is facing the reality that they have to get full-time jobs and figure out the next step in their life.

I guess we would not understand what it means to be a grad student without this time crunch at the end of every semester. Do other grad students face the same issues that we face as seminary students? I hear many of my fellow students comment on how much work that they have to do that never counts for a credit, or I hear about the times that they feel so unproductive. Then when you take a closer look into the life of a seminarian, there is a very good chance that they are involved in a lot more than just studying here.

Some are full time parents, others have spouses at home. There are some who work at least 20 hours a week and others that spend their free time being available for others on this campus. There are others who make themselves available to help people with their classwork. There are some who coordinate social activities, and there are others that form partnerships between the students and faculty. But what I see most of the time are people growing, developing, and learning from and about others. You see, there is a lot of learning that goes on in the classrooms here at Luther, but I would argue that just as much learning takes place outside of them as well. So when I hear my fellow students talk about how much they feel they have not accomplished during the day, I remind them of what they do on a regular basis.

Now back to the escape of time, where did it go and why are we encouraged to fill up every minute of our lives? Are we afraid of what we would be left with if we had nothing to do? I am just as guilty as the next person who fills their day to the brim with doing things. My saving grace is when I do get those moments where I get to catch up with friends, we may laugh or we may cry, but in the end those are the times that really matter.