Making the Grade

We moved to Iowa over 5 weeks ago; I'm almost half way finished with the Summer Greek program! So far, I've scored an A on each of three exams. I am finding that I am very competitive, and hard on myself when it comes to getting good grades.

It wasn't always that way. During my undergrad years at Florida State University, I was fine with a B, or even a C, depending on the course. I was more interested in playing shows with my band, working at the radio station, or just getting through. It's not that it was difficult, most of the time, I just didn't put forth a whole lot of effort. It came pretty easy to me.
Graduate level coursework is a personal challenge. I know that this is the work that I should be doing, and that it will be difficult. It's a challenge to prove to myself that I'm up to the task. When I missed a couple points on the first week exam, it burned. "I should have known that!", I thought to myself. The same feeling crept up on me after the second and third exam. The letter grade on the paper stared me down. "A MINUS!" It mocked me. I will be more careful next time.

I hypothesize that my recent career in radio advertising made me more competitive. It was every account rep for themselves. The only grade that mattered was the bottom line. The commission statement pulled no punches. You were either first, or last. Close the deal. Get the ink on the paper. That was only part of the reason I left, of course.

My prayer for this week will include asking God to change my heart, to help me to grow to focus on learning rather than being the highest test score, to be thankful for every moment I have to spend in the Word, and to enjoy the process. I am very grateful for this opportunity to grow in knowledge and in my faith, and to teach others about Jesus, helping others to see their place in God's plan.

I think this was an A PLUS blog post.