Too Much Future

So, we were visiting the college my daughter plans to attend this coming fall. I had driven  for 3 hours, 146 miles. After attending some of the admissions seminars, I realized there is really no point to being on campus this weekend, except that my daughter and her friend love the place and wanted to be there. They had received free tickets for visiting the campus that weekend to a Casting Crowns concert. Other than that, the girls just wanted to hangout in a place they love. Lucky me.

However, fall class registrations were open, and since we had travel 3 hours, 146 miles, I thought something other than hanging out ought to be accomplished. My daughter could have registered on-line from home, 3 hours, and 146 miles (mostly two lane roads with 45 mile an hour speed limits) away, but since we were there, and something other than drinking very good coffee should be accomplished, and the computer lab was open, why not register now?

In we went. My daughter talked with the Dean of Admissions. He gave her a list of required courses. He informed her, if she wanted to complete a degree in education, these were the courses she had to take. We sat down at a terminal, and then she freaked. There was panic in her eyes. What if she didn’t want to be a teacher, what if she would prefer to work towards a business degree, how could she make these decisions, what if she hated her classes.

What if I make a mistake?

What am I supposed to do mom?

I think for the first time she realized that attending college was not an end in itself but a means to an end. She isn’t absolutely sure where she is heading, so how can she start.

We did have the list of requires courses. She had to take one education course. She wouldn’t be locked in, her future set in stone, her first semester freshman year. That truth wasn't any comfort right then.

She has too much future and no crystal ball to tell her, for good or ill, how her choices would turn out.

God is good. As she was freaking out, the computer system went down. The possibility for signing up for classes at that moment was gone. We could check back later to see if the system was up. Later, as it turns out, we would be waiting in line to try to get good seats at the concert. I’m so not crazy about the concept of general admission to events. Evidently, the priority was concert seats first, signing up for classes another time.

It was God’s grace the computer system went down just then. My daughter needed time to think and pray. Sunday, after traveling 3 hour and 146 miles to get home, she sat down at our computer and completed her class schedule in about 45 minutes.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1