School Progress

I am about half way through the teaching credential program. It has been a long day coming... I mean it took me about three years just to get into the program because of minor but intractable bureaucratic errors on my part. But I see God's hand in this since during that time the CSUEB credential program was just losing their key administrators due to retirement and implementing the new TPA test. And also I would have finished just in time for near economic collapse.

That collapse may still come but till then I will continue working towards a career that both has meaning, integrity and some money. To be sure there is not a super lot of money in teaching by American materialist standards but the starting wages for a teacher seem like a million bucks to me. There is a part of me I need to remind that I am working for God and not money because it seems so nice to be able to afford a two bedroom apartment, health and dental, weekends off and some clothes which are not specifically for work. Lower middle class seems like a dream... heck I might even be actual middle class!

But I am not working for the money. I could make money plenty of ways, but I am good at teaching, it recharges instead of drains my batteries. I like being in a class and helping students grow from mistakes and developing a sound mind and sound character. It is a life worth living.

...
Yesterday I got to sit with someone crying her eyes out. She is overwhelmed by her life and dealing with the past and present and didn't see it ever getting better. My comforting words felt pretty flat and meaningless in that strange, helpless world of tears but I believe what I said. I am proud of how she has been growing in the past years, opening and not closing her heart to others, growing to trust God one day at a time and wanting healing. I could wish the same on myself. And though she still felt the same except one day older I still believe that in God Himself there is healing and hope, for her and me as well.