Back to Covenant
I’m sitting in my dorm room back at Covenant College. After a long day of registration for the spring semester, as well as buying books and paying the spring semester bill, I finally feel somewhat ready to take on a new semester. It has been awesome being back and seeing close friends again. There is nothing like the feeling of excitement that you get when you see your roommates drive up and into the Mac circle in front of the south side of Covenant. It never ceases to amaze me how God has blessed me so much with the brothers he has given me on the Five Points, the hall I live on at Covenant. Thank you, Father.
As I sit here writing, it’s hard to imagine that I have made it through one semester of college already… and as of 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, I will have started my second semester as a freshman. God is good. Sorting through classes has been kind of crazy. I’m taking on another busy semester with seventeen credit hours — Biology II, Philosophy, Macroeconomics, CHOW I, PE II, and New Testament: The Gospels and Acts. It’s going to be a challenging semester… but God is faithful and never gives me more than I can handle.
I sometimes wonder how much this spring semester will change me… or my major… or my friendships… or even my daily walk through life. I’m excited to see what God has planned. I wonder how taking biology courses, business courses, and philosophy courses will change my view on the major I have currently declared. As of right now, I am a declared Biology major with a concentration in physical therapy. My mom used to always tell me that I would make a good doctor. She used to tell me that you have to be able to memorize a lot of facts, as well as be a good people person. She always had faith that I had both… And for a long time through high school, that is what I planned to be. I wanted to go into the medical field and be what my mom always told me I would be best at. Over my senior year of high school, I started thinking more seriously about what I wanted to major in and someday get a career in. I took a Business Mathematics course my senior year… basically, it was the foundational course for Business Accounting. I loved it, and it made sense to me. And for a while, I decided to major in business. I watched my older brother graduate from Covenant College with highest honors as a Business major. He now has a job in Nashville working as an accountant for Earnst and Young. For a long time, he really encouraged me to think about business.
Towards the end of my senior year, while applying to Covenant College, career planning and choosing a major became more of a real focus. I was still on the track towards a business major…. then I remember one day going to the hospital with my older sister. She had recently had shoulder surgery, and she had to go see a physical therapist to get strength and movement back in her arms. As I watched the physical therapist and even spent time talking with her about her job, I became more and more intrigued… and more and more drawn back to a profession in the medical field. Business was something I was good at and made sense. But I could never see myself sitting behind a desk for the rest of my life.
So… I started thinking more seriously about physical therapy. I love working with people and helping them… for me, there is no greater satisfaction than knowing I have helped someone get better… or helped them learn something. Not to mention the fact that I have always been a fan of the human anatomy and biology. I ended up talking with two other physical therapists, as well as writing a research paper on physical therapy my senior year of high school. I learned a lot about it… and that is where God has me right now. If it’s His will, someday i’ll be working as a physical therapist (unless He decides to change my course this semester towards Business or Philosophy or perhaps Biblical and Theological Studies). It’s in the Father’s hands.
When I think about that… the fact that my career and major are in God’s hands… I realize that I sometimes forget that God has sovereignty over ALL things. He doesn’t just have a plan for my career someday. God knows where I will be spiritually, emotionally, mentally, academically, and physically this next semester. Every new day is a gift from Him! And He is in control and sovereign over every minute of every hour of every day… What an amazing truth.
Another day…
Published on 8 Jan 2007 at 9:44 pm.
5 Comments.
Filed under A Day in the Life, Academics.
The Sovereignty of God is a belief, you will find, that not many people really believe in any sort of consistent manner; even at a place like Covenant. Which professor are you taking Philosophy with?
Jared Leonard on 9 Jan 2007 at 2:36 pm.
I think the reason why God’s sovereignty is a belief of many people… but not always believed consistently by many people is our sinful and fallen nature. We won’t ever be able to stop sinning while still on this earth. We are fallen beings… and it is only through Christ’s blood that we will one day taste sinlessness and the perfection of God in Heaven.
But that still doesn’t change the fact that God is SOVEREIGN. I may not always have the faith to act upon that belief, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is still true. By the way, Jared, I really appreciated your blog. From what I have had the pleasure of reading on there so far, you have a lot of wisdom; and I am looking forward to reading more!
And in terms of philosophy, I am taking Dr. Davis starting tomorrow afternoon.
Philip Codington on 9 Jan 2007 at 5:24 pm.
I would say, in addition to sin, that most people simply don’t like the implications of a strong view of sovereignty, i.e. the language of predestination and the concepts of “chosen” and “reprobate” as they relate to one’s soteriology. Speaking of which, try not to think of yourself as a fallen being since you are now redeemed, a new creation being forged into perfection. It is, however, important to always keep in mind that you were a fallen being and that you will always strive (sometimes mightily) against that old fallen nature.
Dr. Davis is fun, he’s the professor I enjoyed disappointing the most. He teaches graduate classes for RTS in Atlanta on occasion and, if I get accepted, I’m going to try and coordinate my schedule so I can learn under him again. Be sure and do the readings for class carefully, the every-period quiz questions can be tricky sometimes.
Thanks for the compliment about my blog, I wish I kept it up regularly. I enjoy discussion more than a man should be allowed to enjoy anything except his wife! You’d think that would inspire me to write more often but as you can see…
Jared Leonard on 9 Jan 2007 at 7:55 pm.
Wow, I just wanted to say that reading this entry was really encouraging to me. I’m finishing up my senior year in high school right now and have been looking at attending Covenant in the fall. I’ve been really confused and unsure about what career I want to pursue and have been praying constantly for God to show me. I know that he will, but for some reason I have been easily discouraged lately. Reading what you wrote at the end of that entry about God’s sovereignty was an awesome and refreshing reminder that I shouldn’t be worrying like I am and that I should keep trusting him. Just wanted to say thank you!
Rachel on 10 Jan 2007 at 9:04 pm.
I really enjoyed reading this blog. It was very refreshing. My dad and I have studied God’s sovereignty in the past and it took me a long time to begin to comprehend what sovereignty means. It wasn’t until after I accepted the truth that I was dead in my sin that I could believe in God’s sovereignty. This was meant to be a short comment but I could say what I wanted to in 10 words or less. (does my comment even make sense?)
Ali Morgan on 19 Feb 2007 at 1:48 pm.