“It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the
bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened
afterward were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in
the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
The past 16 months have been filled with peaks and valleys, twists and turns that I never could have anticipated. When I first felt the draw to study in the Chicago area years ago, I had no idea what lay ahead of me. Since then I've wandered back and forth from Exile and the Promised Land, often confusing each for the other. I've found new dear friendships while others grow more precious through time and distance. I've been stretched and sharpened by the glorious exchange of ideas, experiences, cultures and perspectives here among my classmates. I am humbled by the intelligence, passion, and insight of my peers. (You guys will all make fantastic counselors!) I've been embraced by a community which I can call family. I'm incredibly thankful and delightfully frightened at the changes God has enacted within me in the process. I realize now more than ever that my heart, my dreams, my calling and maturity are under serious construction in this place, and this indeed a severe grace: proof of God's ownership over my life.
I can hardly believe I'm half way through. I can hardly imagine what lay ahead in the next 16 months.
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