What are my thoughts and feeling as I sit in class for a class on Leadership and Organizational Development and then attend a one-day conference for missions work? - What a wealth of new knowledge is available to us because scholars, students, practitioners have invested untold hours of their time and thought to study and distill but a small part of all they are learning.
- How can I effectively "translate" some of these gold nuggets to those I work with?
- Listening to these brilliant men and women make me curious to know more. It makes me thirsty.
- Listening to these scholars lets me put but a finger on the world of knowledge that floats around like a huge iceberg. I see only the tip of the iceberg as a missionary in Latin America.
- There has been so much study and thought under-girding the missionary endeavor that I am completely unaware of.
- I have long been content to just be a practitioner, now I am being challenged to be a reflexive practitioner, to act and think and think and act.
- I am ashamed to admit that for much of my missionary career, I had a hidden disdain for scholarly work and schooling. I just wanted to get the job done!
- I am thankful for God opening my eyes to value the work of scholars, great thinkers, and to setting aside significant hours to think, ponder, and investigate what others around the world are doing and thinking.
Whew...
I love each step of the journey and count it a privilege to be walking this path with numerous other co-scholars, outstanding professors, and my group of friends and family who all want a piece of that diploma...when I finally get it!
What journey have you been on lately? How's it feel?
