Thursday I started orientation at Purdue for the Weekend MBA program. Talk about a curveball or plot twist that I didn’t anticipate even five weeks ago. It’s a change that I started looking into toward the end of June, and by July 5th it was beginning to look like it might happen, but it wasn’t until we got back from North Carolina that I realized “Hey, I’m really going back to school.”
Do you ever have those times in life when you can see God’s invisible hand? It seems counter intuitive, doesn’t it? How can you see something that is unseen? I’m sure most of the actors in this little drama would never imagine they were being used by Him.
Yet as I kept praying and evaluating, it became clear He was directing this step. How? First, Eric and I were in agreement when it came down to whether I should join the program. Let’s face it: our life is crazy, busy, erratic, and only getting more so. But the more I explored and prayed, it became crystal clear to both of us that this was the right time and the right place. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to move one step beyond or behind God. So for Eric and I to be in agreement on this type of life change and committment was critical to me.
Second, He’d replanted the idea that maybe I should start considering a MBA again in my mind. Years ago, right out of undergrad when I was trying to decide what to do for grad school, a MBA competed with a law degree until I learned I’d have to wait and take the GRE or GMAT. I’d already done well on the LSAT and I really wanted to go the law school direction. About five years ago when it became clear I would teach more than one class in the graduate management programs at Purdue, I looked at it, but the timing and price just didn’t make sense. By May of this year, my teaching load was increasing enough that the idea began to tickle that maybe I should explore it again, but life was too busy to do more than think about it.
Third, my mentor at Purdue suggested I consider it. Then he worked to open some doors to make it possible. He followed up with others and me even as his life is taking him many different directions. And the Weekend MBA folks made it clear there was a place for me and they’d do what they could to make it possible.
Now I’ve live through the first weekend of classes, around 35 more weekends to go. I loved it. I’m exhausted, but the challenge of being in the classroom and learning with others is invigorating.
So many times in my life, this process has happened. Step by step God engages me with a thought and then opens the doors even when I’m not sure how it will all work. This process is an act of obedience for me. I have a couple loose ideas about how I could use a MBA…I have the sense I’ll know for sure in about ten years.
How have you seen God work in your life? Does He use a similar process or a different one?
Comments 1
He waited until my kids were in school and I had gone back to work. I NEVER EVER thought I’d get any degree past my BA in elementary education. One day, I considered a kindergarten endorsement,on my teaching license. When checking into it, the path to get it was not clear. I began working with a special Ed teacher. I decided I really liked that work. The teacher kept telling me I was a natural. After a year, I began checking into what I needed to get my license. Befor I knew it, I found Ball State that was all online. It fit our busy family life. Everything fell into place and before I knew it, I was a student! I love learning! I could be a professional student, I like knowledge in all kinds of areas. He led me to my job In the same way, I got my license In dec. I went for an interview in Feb. just for practice and walked out with a job! Never do you hear of schools hiring In Feb! God just opened all the doors and my husband and I had a peace about it all-each step and decision. It all went smoothly! God is not a god of confusion! 🙂