My first day at United

My daughters and I love to watch Monk. He's a homicide detective with OCD. He's brilliant and funny, and reminds me of some of my family members! On one show, Monk wrestles with a quote he's been told, "Leap and a net will appear." He has an incredible number of phobias and fears, and Monk finds it difficult to trust. That's why he has such a problem with the saying. He doesn't believe a net will actually be there.

Approaching my first day at United Theological Seminary, I felt like Adrian Monk. I have an incredible number of fears. I'm a divorced single parent, who works full-time. I have sole custody of my children. I was a student at Asbury Seminary, taking classes online. I stopped for nearly two years because between the divorce and my finances, school seemed impossible. However, I have felt such a pull to continue my studies, and felt led to continue them at United. Someone told me that in light of my divorced status, especially since I'd been a student at Asbury, that I wouldn't fit in at United. (She was actually responsible for prompting me to request the application at United, I don't like to be told that I can't do something!)

Merely filling out the application to United felt like a leap, a leap of faith. How will I be able to afford this, and be the mother my children deserve, the pastor my congregation needs, and the student I have always been proud to be? I think I cried half way home from the Orientation Weekend, thinking "what have I done?" I kept thinking of Monk. I was surely leaping. Was the net going to appear?

The day of my first class, I arrived half an hour early. (Actually the only reason I was early was because I thought my class began at 12:30. If that had been the case, I would have been walking in just as class began!) Since I had time, I decided to browse around Cokesbury and look for the textbook I was missing. I had a knot in my stomach because I hadn't been able to read the first assignment. I felt like I was getting off on the wrong foot. Maybe I wasn't going to fit in after all. Standing in the doorway of the store, I recognized the friendly Admissions Officer from Orientation. He came towards me with a warm smile, and between him and the kind Cokesbury employee, I felt welcome.

Then something happened that confirmed I was in the right place after all. The man from Admissions backed into a carton of eggs that someone had set on a chair arm! He stood there with broken eggs all over his jacket and pants, and yet was as gracious as if I'd stepped through the door of his home. I was worried about fitting in, worried that I wouldn't belong, worried that I had leapt into this new situation and folks might find me too broken to be part of their community. The laughter that we all shared over those broken eggs eased the tension that I had been carrying. My net HAD appeared and I could relax.

That day was different than Orientation because I did not cry on the way home. Thinking about the broken eggs dripping down the chair and those pants reminded me of how Christ is able to take all my brokenness, hurts and fears upon Himself. He welcomes me no matter what condition I am in and I know that I am welcome in His house. Thank you United for making me feel welcome in your community as well!