Survival Mode

Hello, friends!

We've entered the interesting part of the year where we're out of the New Student Outreach period but not quite into the craziness of finals. It's been forever since students have had anything that resembled a break and Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, meaning we've entered the dog days of the semester. Everyone, staff included, are in "survival mode," which isn't a great place to be but is the reality of the situation.

Survival mode for me looks like this:
- Keeping students accountable to their commitments, weighing whether or not I press in or let slide folk not showing up to stuff because of studying.
- Prepping bible studies and talks a few days in advance instead of weeks ahead like is always the plan.
- Trying to balance time spent between reaching new students and making sure the students who are around feel cared for
- Balancing time spent visioning for next semester with finishing out the things that still need to be done this semester, knowing that too much time visioning means I am not fully present but not enough time means we start next semester behind.
- Looking for more hours in the day to get done the funding push that Megan and I need to do so we don't finish the year in the red.

I'm not saying this as a way of complaining. I still love my job and this is a part of the job that I have come to expect. I'm still sleeping enough and eating plenty, so my health is fine (save for a few migraines). I'm saying this because I wonder if there is a better way.

Planning more and planning earlier doesn't seem to be the answer. The truth is that this job is too fluid and too unpredictable to be able to plan completely for what is to come. This semester we've seen a change in ACF dynamics as well as new work in the nursing school, neither of which I would have anticipated coming into the year. Every year something new happens that wasn't expected, which puts everything out of sync and puts everything into "survival mode."

What this season reminds me is that this is not a job where you can "fake it 'til you make it." Surviving and thriving means complete dependence on Jesus. The more I try and play "catch up" the further behind I get. This job means first and foremost, Jesus is in charge.

Friends, there are so many points of prayer but I want to highlight a few.
- Students are STRESSED right now. Pray that they will not turn to their own strength but turn to Jesus.
- Pray for HEALTH for both Megan and me. Now is not the time to get sick.
- Pray for PROVISION as we continue to work on our funding.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam