Today was "UKnight Day," a day to support my alma mater: Wartburg College in Waverly, IA.
Today was a day to support the Wartburg community with memories, stories, and rallying together, particularly for the purpose of financial giving.
Today, I'm not able to give large sums of money. However, a good friend of mine (whom I know from Wartburg) reminded me that even small pebbles can make big ripples in a pond.
I don't work full time right now, and I have a lot of big expenses looming in the coming months. That being said, I know how important it is to give what I can, so I did - the amount that I charge for one piano lesson. Without having attended Wartburg, I wouldn't have the skills or confidence I need to give such lessons, so for today, this amount works for me.
That got me thinking:
There are SO many things I wouldn't have had it not been for my Wartburg experience.
I don't work full time right now, and I have a lot of big expenses looming in the coming months. That being said, I know how important it is to give what I can, so I did - the amount that I charge for one piano lesson. Without having attended Wartburg, I wouldn't have the skills or confidence I need to give such lessons, so for today, this amount works for me.
That got me thinking:
There are SO many things I wouldn't have had it not been for my Wartburg experience.
(in no particular order)
I wouldn't have...
- worked at Luther Park Bible Camp (and thus wouldn't have vastly increased my tie dye supply and appreciation, met all those lifelong friends, grown in my faith and personal life, learned to play guitar, learned about the wonders of night vision and hiking without flashlights, and gained fire-building and cooking skills)
- continued to explore and grapple with my faith in safe, nurturing, yet challenging environments
- played in Hope Overflow and gone on four incredible service trips
- developed my passion for combining faith and music through participating in worship
- learned how to properly wrap audio/technology cables to prevent knotting and tangling
- had my violin bridge break (which turned out for good - more on that story another day)
- formed relationships with people different from me, giving me a greater awareness of different views of society and the world
- become a more independent individual
- achieved my collegiate goals despite the realities of tendinitis and chronic pain
- learned how to make really tasty communion bread
- been surrounded by the support I needed in times of struggle
- experienced the magic and meaningful worship of Christmas with Wartburg
- applied for, gotten accepted, and followed through with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps program post-graduation (and thus wouldn't have met those people, made those connections, had those experiences, worked in full-time ministry, gained another church family, learned how to cook well, gotten some gardening experience, gotten really good at making cold phone calls, discovered my passion for food ministry, and been forced to live outside of my 'box')
- had my violin bridge break (which turned out for good - more on that story another day)
- formed relationships with people different from me, giving me a greater awareness of different views of society and the world
- become a more independent individual
- achieved my collegiate goals despite the realities of tendinitis and chronic pain
- learned how to make really tasty communion bread
- been surrounded by the support I needed in times of struggle
- experienced the magic and meaningful worship of Christmas with Wartburg
- applied for, gotten accepted, and followed through with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps program post-graduation (and thus wouldn't have met those people, made those connections, had those experiences, worked in full-time ministry, gained another church family, learned how to cook well, gotten some gardening experience, gotten really good at making cold phone calls, discovered my passion for food ministry, and been forced to live outside of my 'box')
- studied in Denver, CO
- created incredible music with incredible people who became my 'family'
- met the love of my life
- understood how friendships of all sorts can continue on, no matter the distance
- traveled around Europe
- learned to be myself
- become an advocate for social justice issues (including violence against women, racism, poverty, and hunger/food insecurity)
- created incredible music with incredible people who became my 'family'
- met the love of my life
- understood how friendships of all sorts can continue on, no matter the distance
- traveled around Europe
- learned to be myself
- become an advocate for social justice issues (including violence against women, racism, poverty, and hunger/food insecurity)
- come to really understand the importance of asking questions and discovering things for oneself
- figured out how much stress and pressure I can handle before breaking
- figured out how much stress and pressure I can handle before breaking
- further discerned my vocation
- earned a bachelor's degree in music education
- earned a bachelor's degree in music education
- become a well rounded and confident teacher
- started this blog (as it was during college when I chose to do so, back in 2009)
- started this blog (as it was during college when I chose to do so, back in 2009)
I am eternally grateful to the Wartburg community for helping me become the woman I am today.
Very Cool..I wish I could have stayed there longer! I have always felt more connected to Wartburg and the yr and a half I spent there then the 2 yrs I spent at DMACC. I met so many good friends, battled depression, learned that I loved music too much to do it as a profession, and found the love of my life.
ReplyDelete