Future Plans and Present Battles

It has been a while since I have written and, just as before, much has happened. I will be starting my second year of graduate school in August and will also be registered as a student with a disability because I have night-blindness. I have never been formally recognized as having at disability because the state I live in (South Carolina) has no set standards for night vision- that is totally up to the ophthalmologist as to whether or not a person is declared officially “night blind”.
Frankly, it’s a little strange being on the other side of all this paper work. I worked in the office of Academic Services for 3 years at my college and served many students with various disabilities (loved every minute of it) but never thought I would end up being the one requiring services. Also, it’s an odd sensation because I’ve only had this informal diagnosis for 6 years and some days I still feel like I’m just starting to get used to it. One thing I know for sure, God has caused this to happen at this time for a reason. I don’t understand what that reason is right now, but I do have faith that he will make that known in due time.
Also, I will begin my first internship at a senior primary care practice that will last for the whole year. Geriatric social work isn’t an area that I know much about and I have zero experience in the field, but I think that is the purpose of an internship; to give students the opportunity to try out something that is completely outside of their comfort zone and yet still be able to build up their skill set and resume. I am very excited about this internship because my supervisor is wonderful. I knew I was going to like her when she told me that even after being in the social work field for over 20 years, she still learned new things every day. I am looking forward to learning all I can from her.
In addition to these changes, this spring semester (09) was mentally challenging for me in that many of my beliefs and assumptions about politics were challenged and are still in the process of changing. I am reassessing my own understanding of my chosen political party (republican) and I am trying to come up with answers to some questions that are vital to my development as a Christian in the social work field. For example, what is the role of the church in relation to government run programs like food stamps, affordable housing, and unemployment? Also, to what extent is the church to be involved in issues of social justice such as the sex slave trade, marital abuse, equality for women, etc. This is just the tip of the iceburg. Thousands more questions like these are swirling around in my head with no immediate answer available, it can be somewhat overwhelming. However, one thing God has impressed upon me is that this is where he wants me to be at this moment. I have struggled and prayed over the last month about whether God really wanted me to finish my degree. Even in the midst of this struggle, God has made it clear that I am where I am supposed to be and while that may not include having the words to give some grand answer to the hard questions my professors are sure to ask me in the coming semester, I can at least be confident enough to say that I know what I am going to be doing for the next two years. That and just being a faithful student is all that he asks of me now. Not having all the answers now doesn’t mean that I never will, it just means not now.