Thursday, March 11, 2010

Inspiration

It has been too long since my last blog. For that I apologize. Lots has happened since then. Maybe I'll take some time to catch you up. Maybe not. I could write a whole series of blogs on an awful experience I had with the Best Buy Geek Squad when my computer got a virus. I could write a blog series on my observations of middle school coaches. I could write about how to and how NOT to study for exams in grad school. That would probably be an insomnia cure though. Most importantly, since my last blog entry, I proposed to my then girlfriend and much to my surprise she actually said yes! But the subject of this blog entry will be something that recently had a profound impact on my day and maybe my life.

Part of my job as a graduate research assistant is going into area middle schools and helping give fitness tests as well as administer a survey. We give students two surveys - one is demographic and the other is psychosocial. Yesterday I helped a special needs student fill out the psychosocial portion. As we were walking down the hall he noticed that it was storming outside and told me that he was frightened of thunder and lightning. I tried to comfort him by telling him we would be going to a room safe from the storm. Every time he heard the thunder he got a concerned look on his face.

Part of the survey asks about the student's outlook on his or her future. It addresses optimism, self-efficacy, and other similar concepts. After this student finished the survey we walked back into the hall and by that time it had stopped storming and the sun was coming out. He stopped and looked out the window saying, "Hey, the sun is coming out! I wrote (on the survey) that I thought something good was going to happen today and it did!" He repeated this sort of thing a few times and then said something that I won't soon forget. "Maybe Jesus saw what I was writing and made the sun come out." I told him that he was right then walked him back to his class. This student has no idea the profound impact that he had on the rest of my day and probably for many days to come. In his candid expression he painted the perfect picture of faith, hope, and optimism. Christ said that we should have faith like a child. This was no better illustrated to me than by this special needs student that I will remember for a long time.