Tuesday, December 14, 2010

being back at Gordon.

DISCLAIMER: the below post is about working at Gordon and how much I enjoy it. This does not mean that I did not enjoy my other jobs and it certainly does not mean that I did not enjoy the people I worked with. In fact, the people I worked with at my other jobs are FABULOUS and are still people I keep in contact with, miss dearly and enjoy seeing. I am more or less reflecting on my current situation.

That being said...I've been back at Gordon since July and never really posted about how much I have appreciated this opportunity.

1. The Christian Environment.
I work at a place where we pray before every staff meeting. I work at a place where we pray for each other. I work at a place that educates students with a Christian education that I benefitted from myself. I work at a place that seeks to glorify God above all else in the missions we are working towards. What a blessing to be working at a place like this. My favorite thing about being a student at Gordon was the idea of "freedom within a framework of faith." What a cool slogan. Okay, I'll admit, I never understood that until I had graduated, but it's something Ry and I talk about often. Gordon let us grow and explore and challenge our way of thinking on a daily basis...but within the framework of faith. Within the idea that the Bible is truth. Within the framework that God is who He says it He is. And now, as an employee, I'm finding that I'm being stretched and taught by the people around me in the same way. It's kind of neat and it's always exciting.

2. The people.
I work at a place that is so full of SO many amazing people. I wish I could fully explain this statement, but every day I'm amazed at the people I get to interact with, whether it be my boss(es), my co-workers, professors or students. I work for/with people who are constantly encouraging and people who make me want to be a better person. Also, we have become friends with so many different people that we wouldn't otherwise be friends with if I didn't have the opportunity to work at Gordon. Example: I just was driving back from an exercise class (that I wouldn't have been at had I not gotten the job at Gordon) and had a thoughtful conversation about the idea of Election and the statement "faith is a miracle." So wonderful.

3. Coaching.
When I tell you there are few things that bring me greater joy than glorifying God through soccer, I'm not lying. I love it. It brings more joy to my heart than I can explain. Soccer is a gift from God and being able to share that passion with my players is so exciting to me. And now that I work on campus I get to see my players and maintain relationships off-season so much easier than when I tried to coach when working full-time at another job. I love it and am so thankful that I get to be a part of coaching at Gordon again.

4. The transition.
What a neat time to be working at Gordon. I started not long before the faculty/staff meeting that Jud and Jan (the president and his wife) announced that June 30, 2011 would be their last day serving at Gordon College. So bittersweet. The more I've learned about Jud and Jan, the more I like them. But it's also exciting to be a part of Gordon going through this change and the search to find a new president. I will definitely miss Jan's story telling - one of my favorite things as a student, and one of the things I've gotten to hear a little more of as an employee through a few small interactions. But, change is exciting, and it will be exciting to see what God has in store as Gordon moves forward.

Those are just a few things. And not everything at Gordon is perfect. But it is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now (duh, God is sovereign and works these things out). It's so exciting and I love being there. What a blessing to be back working at a place that helped shape me in so many ways...and now I get to work towards giving that to other students...so great.

2 comments:

  1. Great post! So happy you are happy. Love you, AC.

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  2. Yay! Reading this makes me miss Gordon even more than I already did! You're lucky to be there! Miss you!

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